The other day I had a conversation with someone about… get this… computers. More specifically - laptops. We discussed individual needs/wants. I asked more questions than I voiced my opinions. She was looking to buy a laptop but wasn’t sure what to get.
Nearly everyone wants to do a few things… E-Mail, type documents, and browse the web. I don’t know what the statistics are but this is the large majority vast majority of what the average everyday user needs/wants. She then described herself as an average user.
The word average is funny to me. Politicians know we all talk about describe ourselves as average and they play up to that in their speeches. Everyone is average; at least that’s how we all see ourselves.
I make 25k a year, rent a place, have a car, have a stable job. I’m an average American.
I make 90k a year, own a home, ride the train/metro, have a cell phone and high speed Internet. I’m an average American.
It goes on and on. No matter what Americans want to be average. I can’t speak on other cultures.
The other day a theatre friend stood out among a group of graduate theatre students because he said ‘I’m a great writer. That’s all.’ He then added something like ‘We’re all really good why doesn’t anyone say that?’ It’s a great question. Why don’t we. When we’re good. When we’re really good at something we often play it down.
Is this cultural? Are we led to believe that instead of riding the wave of confidence we’ll get further with commonality? Too many questions.
I bought a pair of linen pants for War Music today. I laughed when emma grabbed a pair off the rack. I asked what size did you take? “Medium.” Medium. I tried four pair on… 2 medium fit fine. 1 small fit but was a little snug and the other small didn’t fit at all.
Medium linen pants. Yup, right in the middle.
I often describe myself as an average guy. I’m not. At all. I work out often. I eat well. I can do things on a PC that most people would look at as if it were a collage of optical illusions. I’m not the smartest by any means and I can learn a whole bunch of course but I’m not average. I like a wide variety of music.
I am 5′11″ which is a couple inches taller than the average height for an American male - 69.2 inches, or 5 feet 9.2 inches. On the other hand I am FAR from the 189.9 lb. average weight. At 155-160 lbs. I’m a bit off the ‘average’ mark. Numbers are provided by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 1999-2002.
I used to think I was pretty average. Yup, I’m tooting my own horn and this is where most people get annoyed or disgusted or simple scoff. I’m happy with my me. I don’t want to be average. Sure, it’s easier to get by being average, but for me, it just isn’t entertaining enough. It just isn’t challenging enough. With that vent out of the way it’s time for bed. Thump.
I am extremely excited to announce a performance of War Music. Sarah Lawrence College’s Acting the Poetic Text (professor Michael Early) class presents WAR MUSIC: Patrocleia (an account of books 16-19 of Homer’s Iliad) by Christopher Logue.