The New N-word?

Today I made a vet appointment for my cat. The doctor who I always see and who is fantastic had no openings for the next three weeks, so it would have to be with one of the others in the practice. I told the receptionist that I was okay with any of them except for the guy with the heavy arm, neck and face tattoos, multiple facial piercings and long painted fingernails. "I can say, that, right?" I asked. She said that was fine. Then I had to go and ruin it by adding, "You know, someone normal."

Oops, big mistake. She immediately bristled and said, "That's not acceptable. That is definitely not acceptable language." She was pretty pissed. "You can't say someone is not normal."

I apologized for offending her but explained that, being 79, his bizarre appearance is anything but normal to me. Or to anyone in their right mind, which is what I thought but did not say. For example, a friend of mine who is in her right mind went to that vet practice on my recommendation, but when she got there and saw Dr. Tattoo she immediately walked out. She now drives eight miles to the next town to see a different vet.

So, is normal the new N-word?