02 August 2006

Out of Touch with Reality

Quick question before I begin: It’s time for a toxic cleanse. I’ve done these before, but used a rather expensive cleanse. I’d rather try something on the more frugal side. Any suggestions?
You may or may not have noticed, but I have added a photo to my profile. Let me tell you a little about this photo. I spend a good portion of my life in “huh?” world. I get lost in my philosophical meanderings or in my fantasy world of unicorns or Anne of Green Gables or Elizabeth Bennett or the day my husband proposed or being a famous artist (even though I can’t even draw stick-figures with any recognizability) that I have no idea where I am. I have gotten home and don’t remember how I got there. I have made wrong turns when running. Leaving the house, I will without fail forget something because I don’t need keys when swimming in a waterfall or dancing on rainbows with fairies and leprechauns.
When my husband and I were going through pre-marital counseling, well post-pre-marital counseling (a friend was going through a marriage counseling class and my husband and I were the most newly-weds he knew so we became his guinea pigs), we had to take a dog day long and painful personality test (especially hard from my ADHD husband). I have a love-hate relationship with personality tests. It’s fun to giggle over statements that seem to describe you perfectly, strengths and weaknesses and all (Although some of the things they label as weaknesses, I don’t see as such. Who says I’m not organized? Just because I’m not organized in the way they want me to be organized doesn’t mean I’m not organized.), but I find myself making decisions based on the test results. I can’t do this, because a P (as in ENFP of Meyers-Briggs determination) wouldn’t do that. (I’m digressing like a German parenthesis-within-parenthesis sentence.) So our friend/counselor told me I’m very emotional (let me tell you, I feel off the couch with surprise), radical (rather than conservative), and unethical (according to the test, just because I question everything. What’s wrong with that? Didn’t Jesus question?). He said the test showed me to be a hippy. Then he hemmed and hawed.
“Now, the tests aren’t always right. You can disagree, and that’s fine.” What the heck is he getting at? “The test says you are out of touch with reality.” Ha! What does that mean, anyway? It just means that I’m out of touch with the reality that the makers of the test have determined to be reality. What is reality, anyway? I’m not out of touch with my reality? Okay, before you send the people with the straightjackets, you must know that I live a normal life. My house is more or less clean. We eat dinner every night. Our cars are registered and insured. So I’m out of touch with some test-maker’s reality. I like my reality.
Another favorite comment from the Meyer-Briggs test: “Sees life as a drama.” Love it! Every time a bell rings, a drama queen gets her crown. You have to earn that crown, you know.
So this picture is my “huh?” picture.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Just don't tell anyone you're a writer. They'll say you're out of touch with reality and start sending you job postings. Andohbytheway, I've failed the little word puzzle below many times.

JHearne said...

I really enjoyed reading this for some reason I can't place my finger on.

What is reality? Sounds like you're into metaphysics and ontology. That or you're questioning the "normalness" of people.

We can talk Kant some time if you like. Email me.

Anonymous said...

Jean Baudrillard... hyperreality... the virtual is more real than the real...

When I get home I think I'm going to have pasta. Yeah... Pasta...