Mediocrity

When I was in 9th grade my Geography teacher gave us a heart to heart about mediocrity. She told us a story about a date she once went on. On this date they went lobster fishing. She stated once they caught a lobster they would put it in a bucket and it would try to get out, but as soon as they caught several lobsters they couldn't escape. She went on to explain how every time one of the lobsters tried to climb out of the bucket the others would pull it back down. The moral of this heart to heart was whether or not you were going to allow those around you to pull you down or if you were going to continue to climb. I remember leaving this class period being so motivated, telling myself I was always going to be the one to rise above.

As I've grown up and been in different situations I've realized how hard it is to rise above and how simply wanting to isn't enough. We are taught to dream big and that we can accomplish anything we set our minds, but what people fail to mention is the thing that always seems to get in the way - reality. Just like the story taught, it is nearly impossible to rise above and be more than mediocre when those around you are pulling you down. I've learned how exhausting it can be and how after awhile you give up. You get tired of climbing, rising, only to be dragged back down.

Striving to rise above is an admirable aspiration, but like a lot of things fear stops people from achieving it. I've realized it isn't necessarily the fear of rising above that stops people it is the fear of all the crap you have to go through to get there. No wonder being mediocre is enough.