3 Reasons That Will Make You Feel Better About Being Ordinary
Lessons I learned from the book “Almond” by Won Pyung Sohn
I’ve disappointed many by choosing to be ordinary.
When I was in elementary, I strove to be different. When other girls my age loved watching Western TV series, I liked watching anime. When they liked boybands and celebrities, I was, well — watching a cartoon called Adventure Time.
I didn’t do ordinary.
I’m not a genius either. But with my academic score, a lot of people expected me to be someone who has a highly-respected job like a scientist or an engineer.
To everyone’s disappointments, I chose to enter an industry that is more ordinary; the hospitality and food and beverage industry.
Dreams be damned. I just want to graduate school, go to college, and get a hopefully not 9–5 job with the hopes that I’ll have a happy ending.
“Being ordinary is the hardest thing to achieve.”
— Won Pyung Sohn, Almond
We make ordinary the minimum standard of living.
If we can’t fulfill our dreams, then let’s be ordinary. But, in reality, not many people have an ordinary life. It’s not as smooth sailing as the term implied it to be.
Even when trying to check off the boxes of the ordinary list, there would still be a variety of obstacles to go through. Those problems make sure that our lives are unusual.
To get a job, you have to compete with way too many people and the dwindling use of the human resources.
To get married, you have to go through a lot to find the one.
Being ordinary is not as simple as everyone seems to think it is, and that’s why trying to be ordinary deserves an applause. You’re trying to achieve the hardest thing in the world, be proud of yourself, even at your lowest moments.
“Neither you nor I nor anyone can ever really know whether a story is happy or tragic.”
— Won Pyung Sohn, Almond
Only you know about whether your story is happy or tragic. Not even your closest people know.
Deciding or being ordinary might seem tragic for some people, but that’s not always the case.
I can tell that my parents are a little bit disappointed because my brother won’t move to a different company to get paid better. They kept on pushing him to stop being an ordinary 9–5 office worker.
Although I get the intention and concern, I can understand why my brother won’t budge.
He went through hell to land on that job a few years ago. People mocked, lied, and deliberately gave him false hope.
But he found that oh so ordinary job.
Not moving is maybe a disappointing move for my parents, but the job had been his savior.
“They keep threatening me that I’ll regret this, but even if I do regret it, that’s my choice to make.”
— Won Pyung Sohn, Almond
Those who are trying to fulfill their dreams aren’t the only ones who get the “You’ll regret doing this” from people. Ordinary people get it too.
“Are you really going to waste your life like this?”
“You have so much to offer. Why are you living this way?”
I think that as long as you’re happy living an ordinary life, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Some people are born to live an extraordinary life, to find adventure, and explore the world. But some are just happy living an ordinary one.
Just because we’re living an ordinary life, doesn’t mean we’re not living it extraordinarily.
Final Thoughts
We live in a world where living extraordinarily is well respected and highly encouraged. You’re 99? Aim to be 100.
But some people are not born with such intensity, 50 is sometimes more than enough.
Whatever lives you pick to live, do it with joy.
If you’re living an ordinary life, let me give you my applause.
If you’re living an extraordinary life, well — you deserve applause too.
Anyway, good luck!
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