By CURTIS L. BLACK
Is there any hope for me to be great at something? Excellent examples of greatness are common in textbooks and newspaper articles. I’ve read stories of those who have gone on great quests, conquered harsh environments, led the masses to social justice, sunk last-second shots and cranked record-breaking home runs.
Could I do that?
I used to think so. When I was a kid I’d watch the Olympics or a pro basketball game and say to myself, “I could do that!” I really believed that if I wanted it bad enough and put in the time, I could achieve whatever I desired.
With a few years experience in this real-world environment of BYU, I’ve realized I have my limitations. I’m only six feet tall, my vertical leap can be measured with a slice of bread and I have the quickness of cold tar. My dream of playing in the NBA will never be realized. But that’s okay. There is something great within me — I can feel it.
Joseph F. Smith said that “to do well that which is the common lot of all mankind is the truest greatness.” President Howard W. Hunter expressed his admiration of “those who are doing the commonplace work of the world but are wondering about the value of their accomplishments … who are furthering the work of the Lord in quiet but significant ways.”
I might not have the capacity to dunk a basketball, and I’ll most likely never win a Pulitzer, but I can be great doing common things.
Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish greatness from great accomplishments. According to the above statements by two great men, greatness is not defined by awards or worldly acclaim. Maybe it’s easier to recognize greatness than it is to define it.
I’ve interviewed some great individuals during my experience as a reporter for The Universe. I talked to a man who won the Nobel Prize for discovering the mechanism of the action of aspirin, a BYU faculty member whose research is aiding the crusade against cancer and a BYU law professor who directs an organization that provides strong defense for family values at international conventions.
I recognized greatness during the conversation I had with the first Rhodes scholar from BYU, who, at age 85, still remembers the names of the professors who taught him at this university. Then there are the two students who always wanted to do something great, and are now halfway through their bicycle trek across the USA to raise awareness for cancer.
I’ve felt inspired as I’ve listened to the Men’s Chorus, been awed at the performance of BYU’s Ballroom Dance Company and motivated at the instruction of my public relations professor.
What separates some people from the mundane and the mediocre — from people like me? Do some people just have more drive and motivation to do outstanding things?
The parable of the talents has some application here. A master, about to embark on a long journey, called his servants together and gave to three of them five, two and one talent, respectively. Upon his return, the master called for an accounting of the servants’ transactions. The only servant who did not increase what he was given was the one who had one talent to begin with. He claimed that he was afraid to lose what he had and displease his master.
Sometimes I’m afraid I’ll never amount to anything excellent, and yet sometimes I don’t want to be bothered with the hassle of it all. Fear and apathy might be the two greatest reasons for continually beating around the bush of banality.
In the sixth grade, I studied about great expeditions that helped shape the world — Lewis and Clark, Columbus, Magellan, Amelia Earhart, Bill and Ted. They did something that no one else had ever done. They were the first.
I’ve decided to embark on a quest of my own. It may be a feeble attempt at greatness, but it’s a start. I am going to “boldly go where no man has gone before.” I, Curtis Black, have decided to leave mediocrity behind and be excellent at something — to be the first … to visit every men’s room on campus (excluding campus housing). For me, the heights of greatness can have sunk no lower, but I’m pretty sure there will be room at the top when I arrive. If you see me on my quest, offer a word of encouragement. I’m sure it won’t be easy.
I invite whovever wants to to join me (I don’t want your company, just do it on your own time). Or, even better, embark on a quest for greatness of your own.
