It's a Mad, Mad World

 

While writing a story with a main character whose sanity cannot be relied upon, it occurred to me how many things normal people do that should be classified as crazy. Like talking on a cell phone while driving. So many people who do not want to commit suicide think nothing of chatting away in rush hour traffic. I can think of a lot of insane behavior associated with driving. That's probably why tens of thousands die every year in traffic accidents.

Or cleaning their plate at a restaurant when they know they have been served enough food for four people. And if they were honest about it, most of the food on that plate didn't taste that good anyway. It seems that once something is classified as food, some people feel compelled to get it into their stomachs regardless of consequences.

Then there's the issue of selective hearing. Jerry and I recently listened to the same report on the radio. He heard that taking vitamins was a reasonable thing to do. I heard that taking vitamins had been proven ineffective in several major studies. We were sitting right next to each other. Maybe he just wasn't paying attention.

Lately there has been a lot of crazy behavior related to 'natural' things. Like natural cleaning products. What is the purpose of smearing the bacteria around with vinegar or baking soda? When something black is growing in your shower don't you want to use something that you know will kill it?

If I'm going to convince my readers that a character is crazy, should I have her doing these everyday behaviors? Yes (picture a big grin on my face) that might be my main point after all.

Nancy Sherer

 

 


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