Ever been asked what your thing is? That one thing you’re incredible at – the thing that makes you stand out from the crowd? It seems as if the vast majority have an answer to that question. There are the straight A students, the beauty queens, the artists, musicians, athletes, etc.. Then, there's people like me.
Growing up, the importance of finding my thing was ground into me as deeply as religion. I tried soccer first, but was afraid to kick the ball because I didn’t want to kick anyone in the shins. Next I tried lacrosse, but I was scared of the ball so I hid behind the goal and looked away whenever someone tried to pass to me. Then, in dance, I was put into the level 3 class while all my friends soared to level 5... And don’t even get me started on my week-long field hockey career. It was clear sports weren’t going to be the answer, so I tried to move on to music. After years of piano, violin, and flute lessons I can confidently say I know how to play an enthusiastic rendition of Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer on the piano… and that’s literally it.
I am just about as ordinary as it gets from my grades to my looks to my personality. I don’t have that one thing that makes me unique, which was really hard for me in grade school. You don't typically think of being normal as being a bad thing, but I watched my best friends grow into unbelievably beautiful young women, become national cross country champions, win dance competitions, become student body presidents, and go off to top ranked universities. Being above average had become average… which meant actually being average felt like failure. I was constantly comparing myself to my friends and I had a redundant, overwhelming feeling of not being good enough: not smart enough, not pretty enough, not athletic enough.
I spent many years being unhappy and having very low self-esteem. It wasn’t until I got to college that I realized what a world is out there. I was so trapped in my little bubble that I didn’t understand high school doesn’t predict your future. The shining stars in high school will go off to college and grow up to be teachers and accountants and parents just like everyone else. I am ordinary and that’s okay! By definition of the word… most people are.
For us regular people who don’t have one thing to focus on, we can spend our time exploring everything! I might not have been great at any of the things I tried, but look at everything I got to experience along the way. And in my three semesters of college I’ve joined clubs, become a founding sister of a sorority, worked a part time job, volunteered in the community, become a tour guide, and now I’m writing for the Odyssey! What’s important is to set goals for yourself, explore the world, and enjoy life because it goes by quickly. For me, I’ve found being ordinary has turned out to be pretty damn extraordinary.
