What is normal?
When I was 17, I used to try to grow my thumbnail as long as I could. The only reason was curiosity - to see how far I could get. There are better objectives to set yourself perhaps, and it certainly was perceived as "weird" by those around me. In east Asia however, it's quite normal for men to grow their thumbnails.
Is it normal to be living with your parents in your mid thirties? Does this indicate some kind of failing? Whether or not other people are thinking it, the thought has crossed my mind. I've heard "Living With Mother" on Radio 4.
It's worth considering. Of course, on a statistical level it is not normal. Most people don't. Then again, in many parts of the world, three or four generational families are very normal and it's not necessarily the wage earners in the middle who wear the trousers.
I have chosen a different life, there's no getting away from it. Living with your parents, even after you're married is normal. I have friends who live like that in Taiwan. I have several friends/couples who have lived like that in the UK for months if not over a year. To them I'm normal(ish), but that is the crux - we are not normal.
Fortunately, there's a whole load of freaks and weirdos out there to keep us company.
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It's a funny one though isn't it, because right now times aren't 'normal'. Not normal at all. You might find your situation is becoming increasingly common as the financial downturn has forced many graduates to move back home, unable to even find casual work, and many families are having to move back with older/elderly relatives because they've either had their homes reposessed due to redundancies, or simply can't afford to keep up with mortgage repayments under the pressure of the spiralling cost of living. Obviously your own chances of finding a job and a home of your own are being substantially decreased for the same reasons. There's a quote, I can't remember the exact wording, but it goes something along the lines of 'home is the place you go where they have to take you in.' Which is somehow rather comforting.
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