Average Greatness

When I was little, I used to play pretend. I was Jesse James for a whole summer, right down to the faux cowboy boots! Now in my world Jesse James was more like a Robin Hood figure, not the slightly crazed psychopath. As I got older, I started pretending to be a soldier who, with my friend, we would re-fight the whole Vietnam war and win it. Now I know most of you are thinking, "so what?" I promise there is a point! It hit me earlier, what if my life is never more than average?


Now, first let's clear up something, when I say average I'm implying the definition-usual, typical, or normal; not to be confused with mediocre-moderate to inferior. I mean just average, regular job, good family and friends; nothing that sticks out. What if my whole life is just run-of-the-mill? What if I never am called on to be a national hero, Supergirl, or find a cure for some disease or poverty? What if my single greatest accomplishment is a series of ordinary daily activities? Follow me here, I'm not going through an existential crisis, I promise!


Is average bad? One could argue that average in our American mind is a utopian paradise to some third world countries.  Maybe greatness is found in the ordinary things we do everyday. Maybe the simplest of things reap the greatest change. Maybe your life is simply to be an average person, good parent, hard worker, mentor. What we as individuals view as average may change another's' life. Maybe giving 5-10 bucks to that person who needs money for gas is the sign they need to keep on in their struggle. What if talking to the cashier, receptionist, or hell any other person is the 30 seconds or 5 minutes they need to carry on for another day? Would that make it worth it to you, to have an average life never knowing that maybe you made a huge difference in someone else's?


Many people have had this effect on me, possibly unaware that they were doing it. A work friend dropped off a little card and poem in my work box, a completely ordinary thing to do. What they never realized is because of that simple show of caring, I decided to get help for some of my issues. As a teenager, another friend, talked with me on the phone and just chatted about life, school, and stuff. They had no idea I was fighting with idea of attempting suicide and their average phone call changed my mind. So is being average worth it?  Is deciding that your regular, humdrum day-to-day maybe not so average? Maybe greatness is found in average living, maybe it's all around us.


I may never be on the Ellen show, maybe no President or world leader will thank me for saving Metropolis, but I'm ok with that. I'm fine with never being tested in the water's of the worlds' greatness. I'll take my average life, normal job, good family and friends. I will take my average greatness, and love my life!