When I was in the sixth grade, my teacher had us do this math exercise as a whole class. I can’t remember exactly what it was. It was a word problem of sorts, something to do with nurses and a mystery in a hospital I think. Mr. Golchert read the world problem out loud, and then he gave us a few choices as to what the answer was. He asked everyone to raise their hand when he said the answer that they thought was correct (A, B, C, or D). When he got to answer B, twenty-four out of the twenty-five students in the class raised their hand. When he got to answer C, one student raised her hand.
Me.
When I saw everyone’s hands go up in the air for answer B, I thought to myself, This might be it. This just might be the moment when I can prove to everyone that I am extraordinary. That even though everyone thinks they know the right answer, it is really me who knows it all along. This is my moment to shine.
When Mr. Golchert asked if anyone chose answer C, I proudly raised my hand high. He said I was brave. Yep, I thought to myself, and I’m going to be right, even though no one else thinks so.
My teacher asked me if I wanted to change my answer, after seeing how everyone else answered.
“Nope,” I replied. This is where I prove myself, I kept thinking.
My anticipation built as Mr. Golchert explained the concepts from our math class we had used in this word problem. I couldn’t wait to hear him say that my brave answer was the one correct answer in the entire room.
And then he said it . . . the answer was B.
I was dumbfounded. How could I have been wrong?! I thought to myself.
And yet there was a part of me that was proud of myself for taking a risk. I could have raised my hand for answer B when I saw everyone else do it. I could have. And I would have answered correctly. But instead, I stood my ground and held fast until somebody told me that there was a better way. Mr. Golchert told me he was impressed that I had stayed with my answer, even when every other single person had chosen a different one.
Why do I share this story with you? I share this story with you because I think there is something inside of us, however big or small, that desires to be extraordinary. Something that cries out to be heard. An artistic ability. A gift of athleticism. A drive to succeed in the workplace. A passion to make a difference. Whatever it is, I believe that that fiery desire to be extraordinary is something that can easily be snuffed out in this world, if we let it. There are so many things that can discourage us from pursuing the extraordinary. Working the first job we find just to pay the bills. Not knowing what we want out of life. Trying our hardest but always falling short of our goals. Being told that we are not good enough. Any of these things can prevent us from pursuing the extraordinary.
But recently, as I have been thrown into a world where I am forced to prove that I am extraordinary, and have been discouraged in various ways, I have repeatedly gone back to this story, from that time when I was in the sixth grade, and I was so sure of what I wanted that it didn’t matter what everyone else thought. I was going to prove that I was extraordinary. And I am realizing again, as a twenty-four-year-old, that that passionate desire to be found extraordinary is still alive in me.
And I don’t want to let anyone in this world snuff it out.
Great story to show inside each of us is a need to proclaim our uniqueness. I read once that each person is irreplaceable. What a God we serve! As we think about no one has been born with our gene makeup, heart vibration, eye “print,” fingerprint, dna, etc. The forensic based tv shows have concentrated on this in crime resolution. Add on the culture and uniqueness of each family make-up and each of us is truly one of a kind. As a child you were wise enough to want everyone to realize that and you took the risk to dare to show it!!!
Keep stretching us with your words.