The Law of Averages

 The Law of Averages
No one wants to be average.

The need to be special is strong

in humans.  We want to report

the most difficult pregnancy and

delivery, the building of a 

dream home that has turned into

a nightmare, or the severity of

the virus that only we experienced.


But it all averages out.  That's

the Law Of Averages.  Sure or

likely to happen, disaster, 

disappointment, danger and death.  

The depths of our hearts know 

we live in a world of probability, 

and possibility. That at 

one time it most likely

will catch up to us.


Truly being above or below

average and reporting it 

suddenly seems obscene

when you're standing at the 

coffin, or wishing you had a

box of Narcon.  Holding a 

tiny, blue baby, Listening to

the pushing and pulling of 

a ventilator, sirens and strangers

suddenly your only hope.


It's not that trophy feeling

anymore. The one 

with bragging rights.

It's empathy, belief

and surrender.  The

need for holding

the feeble hands that hang down.

It's so soul deep you want

to hide.  You pray to be

average, wish you were

a statistic.


No one wants to be average

until they aren't.

Comments

Dave Peterson said…
Thoughtful poem. Prompted one of my own:

Change

Why is it that we desire
others to be like us?
Are our views,
our likes
our mannerisms
so perfect that we desire
need
others to adapt?

Or are we myopic,
perhaps even just
selfish?
Maybe we want others
to be like us
to validate us?
Maybe, just maybe
we are threatened by others
who view life from
their spectacles.

Is there really only one way?
One food
One bed
One politic
One of anything?
Why is it that our view
ask, even demands
to be top of the pile?

Insecurity perhaps,
or just stupidity to imagine
a world of Ones.
A world of no choice.
Seems to me that was
someone’s view long
before the earth was.

Is it possible to disagree
without being disagreeable?
Possible to share and discuss
without ranker or fear?
In a perfect world surely
with kindness
love unfeigned
we can listen and learn
and perhaps,
just perhaps
adjust our own thinking
and maybe even
change.