Excellence

March 11, 2018

Those of us who plod through life admire talent and excellence from a distance. We recognize it when we see it, even if we can’t produce it ourselves. Last night, we attended our local school’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” What is amazing to me is these kids memorizing all those lines and melodies and the choreography that went along with it. One of the narrators unfortunately lost her voice near the beginning of the show, but the others stepped right in without missing a beat. The auditorium was filled, and we were treated to excellence—the result of months of hard work. Excellence usually is.

Tonight our son presented his sister, sister in law, and mother each with a special kitchen knife he forged from the tines of his grandfather’s hay rake. Matt has worked for years perfecting his craft, and his attention to detail is another way of saying “excellence,” so much so that he has been invited to be on the TV show, “Forged in Fire.” Excellence is a synonym for sweat and refusal to settle for “good enough.” 

Our granddaughter Abi showed me a photo of her pointillist representation of her pet ducks which was so precise it was like looking at a photo. She has natural talent, but works long and hard to produce her works of art.

Whether it’s music, art, mechanics, research, or most any pursuit, people will line up for excellence. Most of us are average, but we know excellence when we see it. I’ve seen plenty of it lately, and it encourages me to pursue it myself. I may never get there, but the pursuit has value in itself. Tonight I am grateful for those whose pursuit challenges me. I see better because of their vision; I am better because of their effort.