Destined for Mediocrity

            Some people seem born to greatness.  The firsts of the world, like Charles Lindbergh, who was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic, and Edmund Hillary, the first to reach the top of Mount Everest.  Or the best at what they do, like Tiger Woods in golf, and Albert Einstein in physics.  These are names known by millions. Revered by some, merely honored by others, but always acknowledged as makers of history.

            Then there are the rest of us.  The great nameless mass of humanity that goes through their lives dreaming of greatness, envious of those who achieve fame and fortune.  Billions of people who will be forgotten to history.  Men and women giving their all only to come up just a little short of the mark, or far more often, becoming lost in the middle of the pack. 

            If asked, none of these people would admit their status.  They would tell you that they’ll get it next time.  With a little more training, or better conditions, they will finally succeed.  They’ll be remembered.  Most will go to their graves believing this with their whole being.  To believe  otherwise, is unthinkable.  For if you believed that you were destined for mediocrity, what would be the point of trying?  Why push yourself, body, mind and soul, if you knew that it would do no good? 

            So we keep trying.  Struggling to get better, or to find a frontier that hasn’t been crossed.  We ignore those nagging doubts, both from within and from others.  Dreaming of the day when we’ll be The Best, or The First.  But those doubts never really go away.  Some are able to use those doubts to goad them on.  For many, they foster a bitterness that eats away at whatever small achievements they have attained. 

            I do not envy the greatest people of history.  The only people I truly envy are those who are happy where they are.  Those who can say, “I don’t need to be the best.  As long as I can have fun, I’m satisfied.”  These are the lucky ones.  They don’t have to worry about what others think of them.  They are able to get more pure enjoyment out of life than those who strive to be the best. 

            I think that just maybe, being destined for mediocrity isn’t such a bad thing.  As long as we are able to look at it the right way.  If you can be happy with who your are, it really doesn’t matter if someone is better than you are at golf, writing, tennis, mathematics, chess, or any other interests you may have.  Because, when all is said and done, don’t most people first take up an activity for the fun of it?