Saddled with mediocrity

If there’s one place where the “specialist” is appreciated, it’s the realm of professional team sports. The ones fortunate enough to scale the obstacles of injury and the saturated applicant pool make their way to the pros if they can do, usually, one thing extremely well. And I was thinking just yesterday of how that runs counter to many of the messages communicated to the population at large.

Didn’t high school go something like, “Try out for a sport, join a club, get the grades, apply for college, be a socialite, volunteer to strengthen your college resume…” I’m in the high school environment frequently. I’m not sure the message being transmitted is any different. I don’t see the specialist being trained nor do I see the discipline of a specialist being fostered because it’s hard to sit still, do the same thing, concentrate on one task.

I drive to work, pensive for mere seconds before hands-free dialing (You like that hands-free part huh…law abiding). No, I’m the guy reaching for the phone to text, checking blog comments, planning the first half of the day. Even I who sucketh  at multi-tasking indulge the practice like an expert because I’m well trained in mediocrity. I am the Jack of all trades mastering nada and it’s a sobering reality to confront the seemingly insurmountable task of buckling down and concentrating on one worthwhile purpose. I am saddled with the mantle of world savior and it was bestowed by none other than Norman A. Coulter. My obsession with “Doing too much” is my own doing and is guaranteed to serve as my most severe impediment.

I’m learning how to say no to the good to make way for the great – hopes of becoming a specialist. Step One isn’t OSH but rather being aware of the specialty at my disposal. You can’t specialize in something unless you have an unrivaled interest in something. There was a time, probably five minutes ago, in which I thought doing a lot of things was cool. I admire the people finding niches and living in those niches. May my admiration lead to emulation.