Crazy, crackers, bonkers, nutso, wacko are just a few terms to describe the mentally less well in our world. As a mental wellness author and speaker I notice the vocabulary that we still use to describe eccentric, “out of the box” behavior.
The word “crazy” has been casually tossed around and the eye-rolling and finger twirling next to the temples that accompany it are also standard ways to describe someone whose behavior we see as “abnormal,” “insane,” or just plain “weird.”
I am one of these so-called crazies and I could not be more proud. Because over time and in my travels I have learned a few things about the crazies. (And I’m not talking about criminal behavior or dangerous harmful stuff—just stuff that make people look at you funny.)
1. We know that life is hard and we are soft. Soft in the head and often times in the heart. We are the “sensitive types” a.k.a: crybabies, oddballs, misfit toys, etc.
2. We embrace the different, the strange, and the unknown. That makes us great artists, gypsies, and interesting dinner guests.
3. We have a secret, silly handshake—we do it with a slight head nod, the occasional bark, grins from ear to ear, or just wild laughter at seemingly inappropriate moments. Like us—it changes often.
4. We are in on a joke that the “normal” people may never grasp.
5. We know that life is both absurd and short and we choose to act accordingly.
6. We wear mismatched socks sometimes.
7. We laugh too loud and too often.
8. We also cry too easily.
9. We make the best friends in a crisis … because we are so familiar with meltdowns.
10. We are not as crazy as you think we are. And we think? You’re all pretty crazy, too.
My dream is to tear down the walls that separate the “crazies” from the “normals.” To mainstream the Magic Holders with the Muggles. To get us all in a room and let our inner crazies and normals hug one another and look into each other’s eyes. For us to all be seen, felt, heard and loved.
Because at the end of the day it is really only fear, some addled brain chemistry, and a flawed vocabulary and outlook that separate us.
