Hurray for the Average!
I read a news article the other day about a 2 year old girl who had learned how to read. I thought, "Wow, her parents must be so proud!" A picture of her parents - smiling and, yes, looking very proud - sitting over and around the little girl was included in the article. At that point, I looked over at my 10 month old daughter. She must have sensed my stare because she turned her head and flashed me a smile, displaying her two new teeth. She was playing on the floor, banging one plastic ring on a picture book. By all accounts, she is developing along as she should be, hitting each developmental milestone almost like clockwork. Thus far, she is an average baby. And I thank the Lord in heaven every day for that.
When she was born, I prayed and thanked God that she had 10 fingers and 10 toes. She was beautiful, healthy and strong. I promised her that I would expect nothing of her but for her to be herself and to be happy and healthy. I do not desire an exceptional child. I do not expect her to learn to read her books by her second birthday or to even get straight As in school. All I want from her is to do her best and if that means Cs, then so be it. I just thank God that He gave me a healthy, normal, average child.
What's so wrong with average, after all? Most of us fall along the "hump" of the learning curve. Everyone wishes to be exceptional, a celebrity, the one who stands out in the crowd. Unfortunately, most of us merely fade in the crowd. Indeed, we are the crowd. But the exceptional need the crowd as a backdrop, a starting point from which they can say they rise above. Without the crowd, the celebrity is merely a person standing alone, his supposed significance having no reference point.
Average means you're just like everyone else - you're not falling behind and you're not flying ahead. You don't have the challenges of the below-averages or the burdens of the above-averages. You're free to be yourself without being defined by your "specialness." After all, the view isn't so bad from the top of that "hump."
When she was born, I prayed and thanked God that she had 10 fingers and 10 toes. She was beautiful, healthy and strong. I promised her that I would expect nothing of her but for her to be herself and to be happy and healthy. I do not desire an exceptional child. I do not expect her to learn to read her books by her second birthday or to even get straight As in school. All I want from her is to do her best and if that means Cs, then so be it. I just thank God that He gave me a healthy, normal, average child.
What's so wrong with average, after all? Most of us fall along the "hump" of the learning curve. Everyone wishes to be exceptional, a celebrity, the one who stands out in the crowd. Unfortunately, most of us merely fade in the crowd. Indeed, we are the crowd. But the exceptional need the crowd as a backdrop, a starting point from which they can say they rise above. Without the crowd, the celebrity is merely a person standing alone, his supposed significance having no reference point.
Average means you're just like everyone else - you're not falling behind and you're not flying ahead. You don't have the challenges of the below-averages or the burdens of the above-averages. You're free to be yourself without being defined by your "specialness." After all, the view isn't so bad from the top of that "hump."
posted by Margie at 2:10 PM
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