The Direct Opposite of "Normal"

10/30/2022

Do you remember two and a half years ago when collectively all we wanted, wished, asked, and prayed for was a return to normal? All these months later, now that we are (mostly) there (despite continued presence of COVID), we understand how much "normal" truly sucks.

I think we forgot in our distress that there is no normal. It is a construct of our culture to keep us in line, give us a false sense of security, and ensure compliance to keep a faulty system alive.

I believe what we were truly looking for back then was authentic and honest connections - the basic human need that drives our emotional health.

Unfortunately, normalcy requires we try to make those connections through superficiality and meaningless chatter. Deep, thoughtful conversations take time and openness - a willingness to be moved, changed, and enlightened - all things that are not part of what we consider normal.

I challenge each of us to confront the small talk, flashy half-truths, and sexy click-bait language with genuine, honest conversation. Take time to dive deeply into your authentic (weird) self, let the other person (people) know you appreciate their quirkiness, and ask questions that convey your interest and help you understand their point of view.

We will all be richer for the experiences, and normalcy will take a back seat to sincere engagement that builds connections and trust.

Weekly Creative Meditation

DRC News

This week's news leads with an "ISO" list.

A family donated a computer to DRC-East; we are now looking for a screen, keyboard, and mouse so the kiddos can get it up and running. Please get in touch if you have these things to donate.

After tearing down the DRC-Canton vacuum to figure out why it wasn't working, the kids discovered a few frayed wires in the motor. Needless to say, we are scrapping it. If you have a working vacuum that you would be willing to donate, please let us know.

You can also find a list of items on our Amazon Wishlist. You can order, and the items get sent directly to us.

Stay tuned for our annual funding appeal and an announcement of the dates for our open houses. We hope you will plan on joining us to meet our kids, staff, and families and to see our facilities.