Friday, June 8, 2007

Crazy

I've been told recently that I say mean things about people. More specifically, I've been told that when I say people are "Crazy," that it is offensive and it makes me seem like a mean person. I have a few thoughts about this.

1. If someone ever told you that I'm the nicest girl in town, they were lying. At times when people ask me to describe how my sister and I are polar opposites, I usually say "Well, my sister is just really really nice." Not that I'm a mean person. I'm more friendly whereas my sister is more kind. I could go on and on about how my sister and I are different, but I'll keep you in suspense for another day.

2. Lets see dictionary.com's definitions for the word crazy:

cra·zy [krey-zee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, -zi·er, -zi·est, noun, plural -zies. –adjective
1.mentally deranged; demented; insane.
2.senseless; impractical; totally unsound: a crazy scheme.
3.Informal. intensely enthusiastic; passionately excited: crazy about baseball.
4.Informal. very enamored or infatuated (usually fol. by about): He was crazy about her.
5.Informal. intensely anxious or eager; impatient: I'm crazy to try those new skis.
6.Informal. unusual; bizarre; singular: She always wears a crazy hat.
7.Slang. wonderful; excellent; perfect: That's crazy, man, crazy.
8.likely to break or fall to pieces.
9.weak, infirm, or sickly.
10.having an unusual, unexpected, or random quality, behavior, result, pattern, etc.: a crazy reel that spins in either direction.
–noun
11.Slang. an unpredictable, nonconforming person; oddball: a house full of crazies who wear weird clothes and come in at all hours.

Is the connotation of this word necessarily bad? Basically, when I call someone crazy, its because I think that they're weird and totally unpredictable. This brings me to...

3. If you ask my friend Melissa the names of my grandmothers are, this is what she'd say:
Normal Grandma and Crazy Grandma. Now, now. I have a few cousins who read this blog who are related to my Grandmother who I lovingly call "Crazy." Do I really call her crazy? Yes. Do I mean it? Yes. Do I love her? Yes. I tell her this often. Just because I think she's nuts doesn't mean that I love her any less. She has done amazing things for me and I'm grateful to be her granddaughter even if she is crazy.

4. A few years ago I was a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. I spent a lot of time with my friend's family and by the end of the trip, I was nicknamed "Crazy Steph." When I started dating that friend's brother a year or so later, he called me "Stephanie La Loca." I loved it.

So basically, here's what I'm trying to say. The word "crazy" is almost a term of endearment in my book. I don't use it unless its warranted and I won't use it unless I have real concern for the said "crazy" person. If I didn't care and I truly thought you were unstable, I would use a word more like this. If I call someone crazy in front of you, don't get offended. If you do, its a personal problem, so get over it.
on