When did being extraordinary become mandatory?
In my small bubble of the world, parents hate admitting their kids are average. Average is a dirty word. Average means they failed as parents. Average means their child(ren) will be doomed to a life of financial insecurity in a mediocre job and a *gasp* average partner.
But why? Why is being average so terrible? As an adult, I’m not expected to excel in every area of life. I’m average at math, but I can write the heck out of a novel. No one has ever asked me to perform calculus (a class I never took), and I have successfully avoided careers like astrophysicist and brain surgeon.
My life looks average: I’m a stay-at-home mom with three kids, and I happen to write books for a living. I run errands, make meals, and watch trashy TV. I wake up at 5am and fall sleep at 10pm. Somewhere in between, I hang-out with my husband and kids, and make time for friends.
Being average has given me a comfortable life with a tight-knit family and good friends.
But, it seems like average is no longer good enough.
At my middle son’s graduation last year, the principal shared a surprising number: over 50% of the graduates had a 4.0 or higher. What was once a lofty GPA goal had, in fact, become…
