Mediocrity

Yesterday’s story about “Big Cav’ John Cravens was written to allow me to talk about mediocrity. It may take me a while to get there, so bear with me.

I was in Barnes and Noble last Sunday and I sat in one of these ‘hollowed out chairs’. If you go to Barnes and Noble then you know all about these chairs.

They have been sat in so much, by so many people, that the seat cushion is virtually at the same level as the carpet below it. If you have not been to Barnes and Noble and sat in these chairs, then imagine one of those extreme sway back horses you see in cartoons. The kind that has the letter ‘U’ carved into the area where you put the saddle.

Though I am in my fifties, I consider myself an athlete and I train like one. I promise you I struggled getting out of the chair I sat in Sunday. In my own defense, my butt was somewhere south of my feet when I began the process.

The normal blogger would probably go on a rant. However, considering that I am not at all normal I decided to approach this with humor.

Barnes and Noble established a new retailing standard when they allowed us to sit down and read the books in their bookstore. Bless them for it.

But those chairs! This is where mediocrity comes in. This is mediocrity on display. It’s not the mediocrity that comes from lack of intelligence or having not gotten it right originally. It is the form of mediocrity that infects us all in our lives and endeavors. It creeps in on us. The best of organizations and individuals have to be vigilant against this particular strain of mediocrity. We think we are doing everything the best we can, even when some things that could be done better are staring us in the face or gracing our ‘big idea’ reading areas.

I work at this problem of mediocrity in my life, but it often creeps in on me unexpectedly. I promise to battle on, that is as long as I don’t get too tired or distracted.

So, let’s give Barnes and Noble the benefit of the doubt on this one.

I suggest we email photos to Barnes and Noble of all the useable, yet expendable chairs in our corporate or personal possession. From all over America we will send them photos of chairs that can be sent to them! Then we will send the chairs that are chosen! They can rotate them out of the stores on a weekly basis.

Feel free to email both posts to Barnes and Noble. Use the little envelope below the post.

(That’s what that envelope is for)

Together we shall overcome.

Honestly Barnes and Noble, we don’t care if the chairs match. We just want to get out of them without wetting our pants or the help of strangers.

By the way B-N……….I love you.