Ordinary
By John W. Vander Velden
I believe in the
uniqueness of each person. That everyone
has special talents, gifts if you will, that make them special. It is these things which make every human
stand out in one way or the other. Yet
for most of us it goes unnoticed. Even
so I believe that the spark of the Creator lives within us all, and that makes
people, extraordinary. I try to take the
time to see the special abilities in those that surround. My mother’s needle work, for instance. She never considered herself anything but
ordinary, yet possessed so many talents she did not notice. Her garden, and all the things she did around
the home, signs of another special individual.
But she is only a singular example of the countless people I have
encountered with an endless variety of talents, my sister the artist, another
that makes plants become so much more, a brother that always finds ways to be
helpful, and so on. The world around is
filled with people, each one extraordinary.
So why do I consider
myself ordinary. Perhaps in seeing the
abilities that surround, I consider my meager contributions common. That I think if I can do something…anyone
could…nothing special here. But there is
an inconsistency. Or is there? If the world is filled with unique
individuals then the vast range of “uniqueness” becomes ordinary. The common factor here is that no two people
are identical…well twins almost…but the rest of us, not so much. So what I see in myself as a common ability,
others might recognize as a remarkable talent.
Talents and humility, can
they coexist? I believe they can. That by recognizing the special spark in
others helps us to keep our hat size from growing. To understand that the ordinary are not
ordinary at all…helps us to see that we are only ordinary…and that is amazing.
I believe, as Mr. Rodgers
used to say, that you are special…but you are also ordinary. I believe I am ordinary…and that makes me
special as well!
(345 Words) 11-6-2015
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