Welcome to Dear Normal: a blog featuring Extraordinary People in Ordinary Life.
First, allow me to introduce myself! My name is Kate Center and I am the author behind Dear Normal. The inspiration for this blog came from my personal avoidance of the old “stranger danger” adage. You see, I love talking to strangers. I love getting to know the people around me. It is so fun to see the impact that you can make just by asking about someone’s day, or someone’s tattoo, or even asking about their favorite eating utensil. While “talking to strangers” should be practiced with caution, I do think it is an important skill that we should all have in our back pocket. I believe it is necessary to make an effort to get to know as many people as we can during this lifetime because you never know the lasting impact it can have on them or yourself. With endless access to media at our fingertips, we are constantly hearing about the top of top. We continuously listen to means for comparison and constantly receive tips and tricks that will help us “climb the ladder.” Personally, that is not what I’m interested in. What about the people that are happy with what they do currently? What about the people we encounter everyday who maybe aren’t on a billboard or a magazine cover but still have a story to tell? And now you can see how Dear Normal was born. The goal of Dear Normal is simply to make connections. To meet as many people as I can and hear as many stories as I can in order to fully understand the human experience. Dear Normal is here to celebrate humanity and embrace the beauty in our differences and our similarities. The goal is for everyone to get something out of this website. The goal is for everyone to feel heard, seen, and celebrated. Here is how we’ll do it:
Every week Dear Normal will be posting two blogs. The blog you can always count on, entitled “Career Spotlight,” will be posted every Friday so that you can enjoy hearing the heartwarming stories of our community members over your morning coffee or when you get a break throughout the day. Career Spotlight will focus on the educational and career journeys of our neighbors and friends around us. We will hear about what they do, what they have learned from what they do, and why they love it. With Career Spotlight we will be able to see the lives of the people around us, and I can’t wait for the stories we will hear.
And if Friday’s aren’t enough, you have another blog to look forward to every Tuesday. Tuesday blogs will alternate between Talent Spotlight and Normal Talk. Talent spotlight will be used as a space to celebrate the hobbies and hidden talents of our community members. Look forward to seeing art, hearing music, and discovering talents and hobbies that maybe you want to try yourself. When we aren’t featuring talents you will be hearing from me, Kate. This journey is meant for everyone, myself included! Occasionally I will have the chance to express my own thoughts in a feature entitled Normal Talk. On select Tuesdays, you can read about my journey and lessons that I have learned either in past experiences or during this blog process. I am so excited to share my own thoughts during Normal Talk and I hope you feel the same!
So that’s it! That is Dear Normal. I cannot wait for this journey and I am very excited for this opportunity to connect with the world around me!
Blogs will begin next Tuesday (October 10th, 2023) at 8am CST but in the meantime, you can scroll to the bottom of this page to find some links and get familiar with the website!
See you next time!
Kate Center
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