The Invisible Battle for Normalcy

So this quote from Albert Camus popped up on my Facebook feed:

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal."

And I thought nah, there are a few who realize it. They just choose to ignore the silent battle raging in front of them. Because if they acknowledged it, what then? They couldn't do a damn thing anyway. The spectacle of this struggle for the "normalcy" that society imposes embarrasses them. So instead of asking about your emotional and psychological state, they just respond to your overly enthusiastic smile with a bright hello, followed by an excruciating small talk.

Smiles and Glances

Once, there was a boy who liked a girl, and she liked him back. There were signs, of course. Stolen glances. Awkward smiles. But he did not say anything, and she did not assume.

So, the girl settled with someone who gave her flowers. The boy? Well, he settled with someone who gave him big, sunny smiles and melting, puppy looks.

Tch. Flowers? The boy thought. He would have given her songs — pieces she could call her own, poetry that would serenade her soul. Too bad she did not see through his meaningful glances. Maybe she was not that special after all. Maybe he should stop looking for someone who could succumb to his depths.

Ha! Who smiles that big? She looks like a fraud. The girl thought. Too bad he did not see through her small smiles. Maybe he was shallow after all. Maybe he was only interested in the surface. So, she decided, fuck it — she did not need someone who could not see her soul.