Dear Mediocrity

Dear Mediocrity

I have included within the cc of this letter your friends; pettiness, selfishness, judgement, and comfort. I tender this letter of resignation, without the societal norm of 2 weeks’ notice. As it is the societal norms that I am leaving behind. Surely, given my erratic behavior, continually bad reviews, and my inability to learn the line production it comes as no surprise. If only you would undermine your own success by firing those who do not fit, instead of grinding them under the wheel of averages.

Yet I hold nothing but gratitude for the oppressive grind, as it has failed to destroy my spirit, instead, fanning it into a blaze of passion. It burns the blanket of contentment that individuals have wrapped themselves up in, holding themselves in their small jobs, doing menial tasks for someone else as their life is comfortable enough. Mine is a resignation from the protection of a screen, the anonymity of closed doors, packages delivered on the steps and brief run-ins to multimillion-dollar companies that sit on the bloody throne of convenience that they build on the backs of uncompensated labor. Convenience we so freely support because we can’t see the filth of it from the shopping cart of cheap clothing, we cannot hear the oppressed cries in the earbuds, and we do not feel the suffering of another through the clicks of the next day delivery.

I resign from the petty political squabble. The naivety that pulls people toward one political side, or the other. With the ideology that the party they support has more interest in their success than the loved one they isolated. In their bull-headed pursuit for their justice, their freedoms, their rights, they fail to see the looming prison of dissention that the parties have mutually burdened us with, as they share the spoils of our money spent for what’s “right”. I wash my hands of it and refuse to utter any of the derisive rhetoric the media washes the masses with. Splitting families and friends for a chance to feast on the paranoia.

I will not live my life of quiet desperation, mediocrity. I will not bend my knee to what one should and shouldn’t do any longer. My comfort zone, that you have so carefully traced around me, with fear, is no longer comfortable. Your mask of good enough has been ripped off and revealed that it is nothing more than a cage. A cage to feed your petty ambitions. To keep me focused on the service of self, which really means the service of no one. I chose a career of high risk and hard work. I work with people, to sort through the masses of those who toe the company line, to find the dreamers that will charge recklessly into the storm with me. Who, when beaten and bloody, will not see defeat, but power-having survived.

So, I quit. I will not slide down to engage the hate spewed propaganda by you and your followers. I will seek out ways to support the industry of honest men and women who try to see past the fog of mediocrity. But, as is my nature, I will occasionally work for hypocrisy. Not because I feel it brings value. But because alone, in my journey, I am aware that fear, and hurt, and anger will bring me to the industry of mediocrity despite my best efforts. My tongue too quickly to lash out, like the cornered wounded animal that you have left in so many cages of humanity. I will hypocritically rely on convenience as my options have indeed become limited by your far-reaching success. Still, I will strive to not lean on my hypocritical side hustle as I try to reach for extraordinary.

While I have others, who have trudged the path away from mediocrity, their trails are not well worn. The darkness is thick and without the norms of society to shield me, I fear the way ahead will be a battle. Storms of life weathered outside the shelter of the mob mentality are harsh, winds whistling so loud that the goal is muted. I do not hold judgement against those who would rather weather life from the safety of mediocrity’s company. The insurance plan being that of good enough and ok. As our quiet corner of the world is well blessed. Why would another risk themselves to live outside of their cage of desperation. Maybe, it is just to me that the souls for the world cry out for better. Maybe, I walk in insanity when I hear the cries of what could be. Less than a prophetic vision and more the dreams of a petulant child who dares scream at the churning machine of mankind’s industry. Mankind’s, which should be men, kind. And maybe, just maybe this resignation, and my steps forward will give heart to others to walk away from the company of societal norms. Walking into the halls of optimism, honestly, and compassion; the side hustle of hypocrisy becoming less necessary with the growing company. That in future generations, we might just heal the world.

Sincerely a different mind.