Mediocrity is among us. We find it in retail stores' employees' actions, we can most definitely see it in the service industry, state and federal bureaucrats embody it, we find it in our educational systems all too often, and many houses of worship turn a blind eye to mediocrity week after week.
I will argue that our nation is becoming a poster-child for mediocrity. For those individuals who persist in paying attention to details, we describe them as 'anal attentive'. What a sad, derogatory term for people who strive to do their best. We deride people who routinely follow-up, crossing the t's and dotting the i's. When did it become the norm to chide and ridicule a person for seeking excellence?
I was recently part of a discussion group regarding an organization to which I belong. The purpose of this series of meetings was to further ascertain strengths and weaknesses plus collect ideas for improvement. An element of weakness for this organization is that it has come to accept mediocrity and average as the new excellent. In my former life as an educator, if I would have experimented on my students with technological devices and other dispersed tools, only to have my students endure painful and time-wasting glitches with each attempt, I'd have been relieved of my position in no time. The moment to be discovering problems is long before you introduce the application to your 'audience'.
Let's banish 'mediocrity' from our collective vocabularies and return to pride of ownership, effort,outcome and workmanship.
Ancora imparo
