Shenanagins

Here's an easy math question: if your husband decides to finally test shoot his shotgun in the woods, how many neighbors freak out? It seems the answer is all of them, and they fill in the gaps more creatively than I can as a writer. Within a few minutes, Mom called and said she thought my in-laws had been shot.

Call Dateline everybody. Now we know the answer to an age old riddle: if you fire a gun in the woods, EVERYBODY hears it.

I have to admit that we tend to get into some shenanagins, not realizing that what's completely normal to us isn't normal to everybody else. And sometimes, it can be hard to figure where that line is between "not a far stretch" and strange looks. It's like the ladies from church that Mom and I ran into at the Craft Show Friday - they were surprised I actually took a day off to do something fun. It seems I have a reputation for being a workaholic. Which isn't true - I don't work nearly as many hours as Dad did before he went part time, or that others do, but I guess it depends on your perspective. Then again, I don't consider my writing "work" and I suppose they do, so there you have that thin line.

Then there's the time I didn't realize why the Avon lady was looking at me funny until she said "there's a bird on your shoulder." Oops! I meant to put Chloe back in her cage before I answered the door, but I'm so used to having her on my shoulder here at home that I just answered the doorbell without a thought to how wacky it looks to answer a door with a parrot on your shoulder. I've surprised a few UPS and pizza delivery people that way, too. Hey, my birds expect service, folks. And they're watching you! I do try to be more mindful of that, but we don't have many things delivered, so that's one that frequently falls through the cracks.

And yet, we went to see Thor: The Dark World yesterday, and there were just as many women in that theater as there were men. All ages of them, too, and they seemed pretty up to date on what was happening in the Marvel universe.  Until now,I had a hard time finding other women interested in sci-fi and fantasy, but it seems this rise of interest in urban fantasy is spreading to a larger audience. It's one example of how the definition of "normal" can change with time and trends - and why you shouldn't worry too much about it anyway.

I suppose we're all unique in our own ways, and there are some times when it's more apparent than others. It just seems that, at least with me, those apparent times happen with more frequency than it does with most others. Or maybe I'm "unique" in ways that are more apparent. You be the judge.

That's all today. Take care and have a good week.

Bye!