Average and Amazing

Well, 17 hours later, and . . .  I am in Georgia.  My parents and I drove here for the week.  This is what I learned on the trip:

• My dad gets worried when I drive.  He must've asked me twenty times if I was okay.  "Are you tired?"  "How are you doing?"  "Do you want to stop?"  The thing my dad doesn't know is that my mind hits its peak around 10:00 at night.  I easily drove for 200 miles straight in the middle of the night.
• My dad likes the song "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.  "Is she saying 'Call me maybe?'"
• Neither one of my parents knew about Shazam or Spotify.  Spotify was a big hit.  My dad looked up all kinds of songs from the early 60s and seemed surprised every time he found what he was looking for.
• My mom makes more noise than anyone I know.  Even when she isn't talking.
• I come from a family that has a deep and abiding love for movies.  I guess that was something I re-learned, actually.  (We have impeccable taste!)

The most interesting thing I learned, though, was during a round of get-to-know-you questions.  The question was, "What would the title of your autobiography be?"

Dad's answer: "Mr. Average."
Mom's answer: "The Most Amazing Woman!"

Interesting, no?  Interesting that two people with such different levels of self-esteem could be married for so long.  Or maybe that's what has helped them?  I dunno.  Their answers weren't surprising, really, but they were unexpected.  That is, I never heard my dad so explicitly say he thought he was average.  My mom, on the other hand, talks about how great she is all the time!  :)  I think it's good thing, though.  'Cause here's what:  I think my siblings and I all have a pretty realistic sense of who we are and what we're good at.  I mean, I'm nothing, if not extremely self-aware.  (I like that about myself.)  My five siblings and me are six adults who know we're average in most aspects of life, but exceptional in a few.  As a result, we are good at recognizing -- and not feeling threatened by -- others' exceptional qualities.  Everyone is average, but everyone has at least one special gift.

Me?  I think I'm smart, but not brilliant.  Not gorgeous, but not completely unfortunate-looking.  Funny, but not a riot.  Good, but not holy.  I work hard, but probably not harder than others.  And I can be creative, but I'll never really be an Artist.  There are things I'm downright horrible at: team sports, public speaking, consignment-store shopping, punctuality.  But there are also things I excel at: baking, conversation, and making people feel good about themselves.

What do you excel at?  Leave a comment about it!  Do!


Thing I'm thankful for: my new Longhorn hoodie