Being Average may be the greatest thing you ever do

Great to be average

I am trying to do a lot right now, (hence why my postings have slowed down), but I am being haunted by every insecurity I feel like I have ever had. For a little back story, I was born average. I grew up what I thought was middle class, maybe just a little below middle class, I went to public school, I graduated high school, and I mainly got B's and C's. In case it's been awhile since you have been in school that literally translates to sometimes above average but mainly average. I didn't even graduate high school with honors (a fairly basic task). Now there are some other things in my life that are like smoke and mirrors. They make me look like I am above average on the outside, for example, I speak well, something a lot of really nice white people would not let me forget growing up. I read exceptionally well and retain obscure trivia facts. Although, aside from fun party conversation starters they tend to be fairly useless. I am good at acting and performing, and with that and 50 cents I can buy myself a 50 cent pack of gum and keep doing what I love. To be fair I did get some opportunities to perform as a job and get paid, but for the most part within the acting community that is pretty average. So why am I telling you all of these things? Because I recently became FED UP with people telling me, "Oh, I thought you had a degree? You are so smart."
      I am not any less smart because of my formal education or lack there of. I am not any less responsible with money, because of my current financial state or my past financial states. So why do we belittle ourselves for not being great. I have come to the realization that being average is great. Now don't be confused, this is not a stop trying to be great, settle for average post. This post is a "if you try your best and come up average don't fret" post.

Shoot for the moon and even if you miss you land among the stars.

Food for thought, think of all the amazing people in the news and they will always idolize being normal/average. Being average is not bad it's relate-able and it makes your successes that much more awesome. Why else, would Jennifer Lawrence, Anna Kendrick, and other celebrities set their talent next to their normal selves. Let that sink in. Amazingly talented people idolize being average. They idolized me. Stars idolize you. Now if that's not something to get you up in the morning and start living your best average life you better do that. Why is this post important to me? Because if I don't get into the top college and don't get a high end degree and end up average, I hope I can remind myself that sometimes average is okay. Average, keeps our cars running, average keeps us entertained, average goes to the Walmart parking lot and talks for hours with good friends in deep conversation. Average people change the world, by doing average things that extraodinary people take for granted. Like after a long day of being exceptional they are still able to get a burger from an average person working a late/early shift. Thank you average people. Keep being awesomely average.

Dealing with Death

Death is something no one wants to deal with and yet we all will inevitably have to at some point.

I am Rae, and on this life journey I had to deal with death from a personal perspective, a child's perspective, a family members perspective and I am by no means an expert on the subject but I wanted to share what I have learned. Which is literally the premise of this whole blog..Me, being in no position to help you so I just let you know how I am journeying through fixing myself. I'm Rae and I am on the way.

Let's talk about Death. I have known parents who will avoid the subject of death all together, saying that their kids are not ready. Using excuses that fluffy the dog ran away or bubbles the goldfish went to grandma's house. Although I am not going to tell you how to raise your children if you have them, I would like to put the idea out there, that hiding them from the world may not be preparing them for the world. Death will not wait for anyone to be ready before it shows up. Teaching children how to handle life, not avoid it, is something that I think would come in handy. I have come to this conclusion because I encounter adults all the time who cant handle death, even though it is an inevitable part of everyone's life. There are religions who offer insight into what happens after death but dealing with the death itself is also important.

I was speaking to someone this past week and they had recently lost someone close to them. They put off celebrating their birthday so close to the date of the passing of their loved one. But I had another way to look at this situation. I thought wouldn't that loved one want to see them living their life to the fullest. And I know it sounds so cliche but seriously, if it was me who died and I came back to see what my loved ones were doing and I realized that they were all just depressed and stopped eating and showering, etc. I would feel horrible. Of course there is the other side to this as well, the side that deals with the fact that everyone wants to be missed and acknowledging that fact is okay. I think it would be naive to say that if the day after you died, everyone threw a huge party and didn't even mention your name. I think that a fair middle ground of acknowledging the situation and honoring the person along with living your best life. Those things are also not mutually exclusive. You can honor someone's memory by living your best life. Ever get a little teary eyed when the American Idol contestant or Oscar  winner mentions a person's name and points to the sky. It gets me every time and they are definitely honoring that person and making them proud. 

I will occasionally have weird moments where I myself will think about if I were to die right now, what would happen. Not in an existential way, I actually am pretty content with that, but in an immediate way. I hate pain and can only hope that pain is minimal when my time comes. but a little less morbid and a lot more hopeful is my thoughts on legacy. I wonder what I would leave behind. Had a made a positive impact with the short time I had on earth? Did I get to make the world a little bit better even if it is a small difference. As Lin Manuel Miranda writes in his hit musical Hamilton-

“Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.”  and that  "you have no control. Who lives, who dies, who tells your story."  This was super inspiring and the entire shows premise of live like you are running out of time. It is definitely food for thought and I think everyone should figure out or begin the journey to figure out what their mark on this earth will be. Will you be the one who brought joy to someone else? Or will you be the one who invents something to propel us into the future? Whoever you are I am so thankful you are here. I hope I can leave something behind on this journey called life. I am CheRae and I am on the way.

How to talk to children about death

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/talking_with_young_children_about_death.html 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLNGUEXuW-w

Hamilton musical 

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7882391-legacy-what-is-a-legacy-it-s-planting-seeds-in-a

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_(musical)