This is all about the average people. The non-rockstars. Those who do not have a catchy background music being played when they enter a scene in their miserable lives. Those who are not born with a silver-spoon stuck into their mouths. Those who spent their childhood wondering if there could be a super-power hidden inside them, but eventually end up discovering they suffer from a cartoon overdose. This is also about the wonderful middle-class people who have dreams bigger than the scams in India.
I am talking about anyone who wasn’t the tallest or the shortest in the school. But was again somewhere in the middle. Also the ones who weren’t the best looking, nor were the worst looking. Those who weren’t the most brilliant in academics, nor were slothful brains.
Our teachers always thought we could do better than we have done. Our parents always thought that with a little more effort, we could possibly join the league of ‘toppers’. No matter how hard we worked, there always was a- ‘bete, there is still a scope of improvement‘. I am talking about those who always thought they were the best among the crowd all time, but as soon as they entered a competition, had a heart-break which was worse than studying mathematics (or any subject of your dis-choice). They were always told that the world will only show respect to those who excel in studies, or sports, or whatever they weren’t doing well in. We were always compared with that idiot looking nerd living round the corner who would score at least 10 percent marks more than us. And that comparison sucked. And if we tried telling how many people were below us, we would get a strong dose of motivational philosophy(or whatever you call it). Failure is always a part of anything the average people do. And such an integral part that it soon becomes a pain in the rear. And each failure would be a public incident bigger than the parade in Rio. We did eventually win(doubtful here. citation needed), but that would be such an undercover incident that people would hardly notice. If anyone did, they would say- “Oh, anyone can do that”. Yes, I know, that is the time when you feel like having a rocket launcher in your hands.
The average kids grow up and become…. The average youngsters (no reset button pressed here). The miserable lives continue. The famous saying ‘Beggars cannot be choosers’ has already applied to you so many times that you start considering it a universal law. The few exclusive ones might also develop into bigtime social misfits. Each morning the average people wake up thinking if today could be the day when they would encounter the lucky stone (or any other animate/inanimate object… depends on personal fantasies) that would change their lives. They come back each evening getting a shot of reality check (recursive). They are the ones who do not have the most loaded pockets around. They do not have a callous life to go through. They actually have to work hard to get anything they want. And many a times they don’t get it, but the journey continues. The average ones keep the search mission to find their better half running 24×7. And that is not easy, especially when the Middle people are again at middle in confidence levels.
We are not the ones who are fond of fighting for the 99.9ish percentiles in exams. We feel relieved with 95-96ish percentiles (or even 85-90 in some cases). Most of the times we are happy that we didn’t fail. Parental pressure stops affecting us by this time. We have generally become immune to embarrassment, humiliation, failures, dengue… Okay not the last one.
But trust me, being the average one, the middle one isn’t that bad. In fact it is one of the best things if you see from my perspective. The average guy always works harder for everything, be it academics, profession, relationships etcetera. And this is a very good trait. Another good thing is, an average guy(or girl) will always look for an opportunity for improvement while the excellent one is basking in the glory of his past laurels. Being average is actually the driving force behind the average person. The average guy has his goals set. He would keep working towards them. In the process, he would become better.
The times are dynamic. A new era has ushered in. This is the time when the tables have turned. It is not the perfect people who are making it big. It is the Middle people. It is our time folks. We are the future. The average people are the ones who make better professionals, better entrepreneurs, better partners and better idols. No one is interested in the story of a guy who topped the exams throughout his life and then worked for some MNC. The stories of the excellent are not dramatic enough. Nor are the stories of the pure losers interesting (for obvious reason – they are losers). It is the life of the average guy which has all the drama, action, suspense and the masala for a future bollywood movie. Only an average one can turn the tables during the course of time. He is the one who can do things most unexpected of him. He is the one who goes through all the struggle. And what a life without drama? The middle’s life has the whole package of a successful movie. He is the new idol. He is the new face of brilliance.
Okay, most of the average people reading this might still be stuck in ‘Oh-my-miserable-life-sucks‘ phase. Keep faith, times will change. That is the best thing about time. And don’t think you are not the best at anything. You are the best at being.. The Middle One !
