If you were made of wax…

Today I met Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, JK Rowlings, Beatrix Potter, Al Capone, Cleopatra, Babe Ruth, Shawn Johnson, and Vera Wang. I was not dreaming, I’m not on drugs, and I do not see dead people.
My brother’s elementary school had their annual wax museum project. My brother went as Nikola Tesla to give a speech about his accomplishments, which included saving the lives of many poor pigeons, one of whom he spent $2000 dollars on and loved “like he would have loved a woman.”
Tesla was really an amazing fellow. He feared hair and doctors. He loved the number three, pigeons, and science. He hated Thomas Edison. Edison was his enemy, but things didn’t really go well for Edison. While Tesla supported AC electricity, Edison supported DC, and called AC impossible (at least until Tesla actually invented it). Edison then went on to use AC in a government-approved electric chair to demonstrate how dangerous that form of electricity was. He executed some poor criminal in an extremely painful way–the man basically melted. But Edison’s plan backfired. Instead of associating the execution with Tesla’s AC electricity, the public associated it with Edison. And, when Tesla’s company was suffering financial strain, Tesla ripped up his contract that gave him all the royalties to his patents so that the company could live on. Plus, he had a really sweet mustache.

Tesla always wore formal clothing. He was a quirky fellow…

But I’m not here to talk about Tesla. No, I mean to talk about the wax museum project. What if I were to do the project now? Who would I be?
I could be Charles Lindbergh and talk about my son’s tragic kidnapping, brag about my trips all over the world, and flirt with all the ladies. But that would be awkward because I’m a girl.
I could be TS Eliot and just recite brilliant poetry the whole time.
I could be Alfred Nobel and complain about my misused inventions and my horrible life.
I could be Al Capone because I could do a lot of creative things as him. (“I spent a lot of time working in soup kitchens and I donated money to charity. This helped me escape from the police’s notice and relieved my conscience at the same time!
I could be Teddy Roosevelt because he rode a moose.

You wish you could ride a moose…

I could be Alice Paul because she was a pretty amazing feminist. (You may know her from the movie “Iron Jawed Angels“)
I could be Nefertiti because I love ancient Egypt and Cleopatra is so overrated.
I could be Harper Lee because her friends told her they would cover her expenses for a  year while she went to write a book.
I could be Abigail Adams because we all know she was the brains behind the country.

I could be Joan of Arc because she was one deadly heroine.
I could be Jane Austen because… MR. DARCY.
I could be Sarah Emma Edmonds because she was a little-known (thus effective) spy dressed as a man during the Civil War.
Yeah. I’d probably be her.
Who would you be?

Normality is Overrated

I often find myself claiming that “Normality is overrated”. I want to clarify what I mean by this and elaborate further.

1. “Normal” people don’t go down in history.

• Normality- the state or fact of being normal.
• Normal-  Conforming to a standard, pattern, level, or type
• “Abnormal”, as I’m sure you know, is simply the opposite of “normal”. Every name from history is abnormal in some form. Either they held a position of great power, fought a battle with great valor, or defied the ‘standard’ in order for their name to be listed in a history textbook. John Adams, for example, defied the normal standard that a colonist was supposed to conform to the desires of the mother country. Against all hope, Adams fought for his beliefs, risked his family, and wound up a prominent figure in America’s history. Of course, abnormality can contribute to many of “history’s villains”, as well. Unless you dare to question the normal way of thinking–unless you fight the currents of society–you will end up just another fish in the rivers of the world. Why would anyone care to pick the fish out of history? You will be forever remembered as one of a group. And who wants that?

2. Hollow (“normal”) people won’t help the world progress.

• Henry David Thoreau approves of this message.
• Individualism, Ingenuity, and Intelligence. These are the major “reactants” that constitute a progressive world. Our government offers patents as a reward for ingenuity. Those of high intelligence often land in well-paying jobs with a solid education. And if we  did not function as individuals, how could anything be accomplished?
• In some nations, abnormality would be frowned upon, but it brings about change. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
• Were the world governed by simply “normal” people, it would likely still be thought that Earth is the center of the Solar System and that the world is flat.

3. You were made to be your own person. Don’t hide it!

• How would God feel about you dimming his masterpiece?
• There are plenty of other people to play the part of “normal”. Don’t join the crowd! You are a gem, not ‘just another pebble’. Why degrade your value?
• Dr. Seuss said “Why fit in when you were made to stand out?” You don’t argue with Dr. Seuss.
• If everyone were normal, we’d be a big blob of brown. Tye-dye is much more becoming.

So you see, I’m not totally crazy. I have somewhat solid reasoning! 🙂