Differentiation

Think about the word extraordinary.

1. beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established
2. exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable

It would be reasonable to say that most people in the world admire extraordinary people, they fantasize about extraordinary events, they pursue extraordinary things. There’s a sense that being extraordinary is worthwhile, that it sets one apart from the crowd, that it demands one go above and beyond the norm, that if you’re extraordinary, you’ve got something that everyone else wants, even if they aren’t willing to do what it takes to get it.

Yet, the nature of the word belies what it truly means to be extraordinary. Taken literally, it looks as though it’s simply the average plus a bit more, yet I doubt anyone would say “above average” is as good as “extraordinary”. It’s just plain more of the standard, the generic, the concept of normalcy taken seriously.

It’s in the pursuit of normalcy that I’m intending to leave Ithaca (and if you’re skilled at reading between the lines, you can see that I think highly of my path). I’ve mentioned it to some of you, but Colorado is my current destination. Whether I’ll make it there depends on a very large number of variables, but I have no intention of doing this half-assed or going any less than balls-deep with this plan. It should be noted that I’m not just hopping into a college dorm and living the life of my peers, but I’ll be working full-time for a year to attain residency, so I can start school up again, on my own steam.