Too Good To Be True

Currently in English, I have begun a study on Shakespeare and his work, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
Currently on YouTube, I have begun my work as a leech to any and all videos of the balletic variation Esmeralda.
Currently on the sports page, men take juice.

Now, as an arbitrary figure, that has no basis more reliable than my own assumptions and scant observations, the great majority of our population is comprised of mediocrity-- average people doing average jobs in order to keep our society ticking. That's fine though, it's not a bad thing nor does it give those who aren't average any reason to complain (though some do). Unfortunately, however, I have noticed a trend: more than the exceptionals complaining about those below them, generally, the averages complain about those above them. In fact, this habit of complaint has a name. Jealousy.

Currently, extensive studies are being undertaken to disprove Shakespeare's work. Many of those who have spent a considerable amount of time exploring the intricacies of his literature are now filling their days trying desperately to negate the fact that he actually did the writing. According to them, it was Marlowe, it was Bacon, it was some bloke on the street whom Shakespeare paid a buck or two for the first ever calling as 'ghost writer.'

Currently, I've spent more time than is healthy drooling over YouTube, watching video after video of the same choreography. It's funny, though: no matter how incredible their extension or their feet or their stage presence is, a glaring fault pops up in my line of view to obscure their success. I have to find something that makes them less. They're "too good to be true."

Currently, athletes take juice. They've figured out that sometimes, their own talent isn't good enough because unfortunately, there's someone better. So it's easier to cheat than to remain loyal to their integrity. It's easier to accept their own dose of juice than to accept their own dose of relative mediocrity. Bummer.

So why can't we just chill? All of us? Relax and come to terms with the fact that we aren't going to be glorifyingly great all the time. We've been given what we have and jealousy, cheating, is not going to improve our inner knowledge of the fact that we're, in one aspect or another, just like someone else. In fact, in one aspect or another, there are innumerable hoards of people who are a whole lot better. Ouch, right? Wrong!

You know, it's as if we're running our marathon of life, proud to excel around one bend only to discover that we're neck and neck with some other guy around the next. Isn't that pretty cool, though? We have a buddy to run with, right?

Not being the best means that someone else is. And since we all know what it feels like to be great, we ought to play it off as our collective victory when we've tried our best and come nowhere near the mark, only to hand it off to some other shmoe. A gift, almost. Because, see, we're all the same species and in the end we're all great, forced to share the same prizes, and triumphing in one another's successes.

It's a scary thing, mediocrity. But hey, so is life. We're all frighteningly fantastic when it comes down to it, and our own anatomy and our own spirits contain more power than we may ever realize. But as scary as that all is, it's all chill. I swear. As Ellen DeGeneres' lovable animated fish, Dory, once said, Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... even if we aren't anywhere near the front.