My Wonderful Life of Mediocrity
mediocrity
NOUN
The quality or state of being mediocre.
“heroes rising above the mediocrity that surrounds them” ¹
Sigh. And there it is, a storyline that permeates our society and humankind’s history.
First, let me say; I love my life. But unfortunately, that hasn’t always been the case. Early in my adulthood, I read a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nature arms each man with some faculty which enables him to do easily some feat impossible to any other” ² and the movie “City Slickers” didn’t help with the iconic scene of the rugged and weathered Curly (Jack Palance) holding up his index finger “One Thing” to the befuddled Mitch (Billy Crystal).
I never found my one thing. Not that I haven’t been looking, I have; I’m still looking, just not nearly as hard as I once was. The concept of being the best at something led to years of frustration and an eventual conclusion that Theodore Roosevelt was right; “Comparison is the thief of joy.” ³
I played the typical sports of baseball, basketball, and football in my youth. To help me practice my swing, my dad drilled a hole through a baseball, attached a rope, and spent time after work coaching me on keeping my eye on the ball as he swung the rope and ball around his head. It worked great until I connected with the ball on a hard-and-fast swing, hitting him between the eyes, breaking his glasses, and giving him two black eyes.
In basketball, I wasn’t tall enough. I could play league, but I’d break my big toe in the first game of every season. Football, I wasn’t big enough and running down the field, I got blindsided by someone who was. And on the story goes.
I attended AP English in high school but received barely passing grades after receiving cuts for skipping class to go skiing on powder days. Skiing was a lifelong passion, but I’m a very condition-specific skier. So, if the conditions are within my range, the mountain had better get out of the way. Unfortunately, Olympic-class skiers can ski on anything.
I tried rock climbing; however, my perceived risk/reward ratio was as much an impairment as my limited hip mobility. Scuba diving, I’d throw up through my regulator. The other divers and fish enjoyed the show, but I wasn’t Jacques Cousteau. Interestingly, my favorite dive was a cave, and I realized I appreciated the cenote so much because there was no water motion or predators. Yes, I watched every Jaws movie growing up.
I’ve settled into a routine of peak-bagging, and I summit about 40 peaks yearly. Last year (2021), the top peak-bagger on listsofjohn.com climbed 660. I ski about 20 days per year. I have friends who ski 100 days a season. Work? I’m a medium producer. Granted, I only work 12 hours per week compared to 60 for others, but mediocre when you liken the raw numbers as sales organizations are inclined to do.
I have a wonderful family with four children. I’m above the average there when it comes to procreation. I married my beautiful wife 39 years ago and hit it out of the park. More to her credit than mine that she has put up with me this long.
CrossFit, yeah, don’t get me started. Road biking, I’m in a peloton of one.
My point is that I have discovered a remarkable life in my attempts to find that one thing. I’ve walked on the Great Wall of China and stood atop the Arc De Triomphe in Paris. I’ve eaten crab at Fisherman’s Wharf and cliff-dived into Lake Powell. I played horrible golf at Saint Andrews (Jubilee Course) in Scotland, and I’ve kissed the Blarney Stone. I went heli-Skiing in Canada and ate New York cheesecake in New York (I was pretty good at this one, way above average). I’ve been whale watching and on camel rides.
I’ll continue looking, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to appreciate the fallacy of the “one thing,” I’ll settle instead for a journey of mediocrity.
Written July 1, 2022, edit revision March 4, 2023.
Originally published July 9, 2022, Linda’s Brick Barn.
While coffee may not be my cup of tea, I do have a passion for beautiful jewelry. If you enjoyed reading my article, I invite you to visit Jewelry Art by Linda, where every piece is lovingly crafted by hand with meticulous attention to detail.
References:
1. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Mediocrity. Retrieved April 25, 2021, from https://www.bing.com/search?q=mediocrity+definition&cvid=344686259192447a8e29eade6cb0f20c&aqs=edge.0.0j69i57j0l7.8480j0j1&pglt=163&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=U531
2. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Wealth.” _Ralph Waldo Emerson_, retrieved 18 Jan. 2021, emersoncentral.com/texts/the-conduct-of-life/wealth/
3. Cummings, R. (1922). The Girl in the Golden Atom. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 111.
