I am currently reviewing events throughout my life . My friend Constance Scrafield Danby (a frequent contributor to the Citizen) is preparing a life history picture book for me. In the process I am realizing that I have lead a rather unusual life, different from that of anyone I know. That means I'm unique. Does that mean my life differs from normal? Or more to the point should I consider myself, being other than average, as 'abnormal'?

Society appears to need to categorize people and characteristics. This is particularly so in the educational field. Two of our children grew up with dyslexia. Which meant that the authorities had to deal with them differently. There were strong indications that they would experience somewhat abnormal lifestyles.

Colin particularly would never be able to achieve any kind of academic level. (He is currently teaching English as a second language in a Tokyo university having completed a masters degree with honours from Birmingham University.)

Beth is an artist in Los Angeles with amazing skills in Celtic painting. Robin, another success story, is dealing with loss of sight and hearing.

Mathematicians have developed a bell-shaped curve to describe a distribution of statistics in such fields as heights, weights, speeds. etc. Normal data fits nicely into the main part of the curve, with the peak being average.

Typically about 66% lie within 3 standard deviations of the mean. Unusual data occupy the area to the left or right of the mean. In our schools the most efficient use of teachers is to deal with normal students while special education is needed to help those who have learning 'disabilities' (society's term) and advanced classes for exceptional students.

We as a society continue to find means of helping others or even ourselves achieve our inherent potential.

I remember one student who struggled with reading, writing and arithmetic but was brilliant in playing chess against even the brightest students. Others learned the use of Chinese symbols (pictorial) much more quickly than those trained with Roman letters. Music and art appear to be effective tools in learning situations. Many students with high academic capabilities on the other hand find it difficult coping with lifeskills and the inter-relationship with other people.

The logical alternative to this is the word unique. Each person brings his/her own characteristics into this world and chooses whatever experiences are appropriate to a personal life plan.

No two people are alike (normal?). Each and every one of us is his/her own story. Statistics note that most normal relationships are between people living within 8 blocks of one another whereas I found my life's partner half way around the world. We had five children, all similar but completely different.

It is interesting to note that we have been blessed with friends of which there are no two people the same.

All are interesting and unique. They would all defy categorization.

The wide range of personalities and especially their life experiences make each and every one fascinating. Conversations are never dull as each talks about events in his/her past and plans for the future.

Inasmuch as each of us is unique what is the point in fitting people into a mold? Obviously this is impossible anyway because none of us fits what would be classified as normal. It is diversity that makes people interesting.

A TV program was based on picking people at random and finding out who they really were. Even the most unassuming person eventually exhibited characteristics or events in his/her life that made the person unique.

It is the differences between people that adds so greatly to our own interesting lives. An article from many years past was based on an enquiring mind. "What is the Purpose of Life? It is searching for the purpose of life". This is a lifetime challenge and one that is fascinating to hear about in others as well as discovering for oneself.

'Normal' in fact is a diversity of abnormalities. Much like the expression 'the only constant in life is change', the only thing we have in common with others is the fact that we are all different. The only thing normal in life is abnormality.