A few months ago, I watched a movie called “Ordinary People” – a heart-touching story. (make sure you have enough tissues if you’re watching it). But since then, I’ve been wondering why it was named that way. I mean, isn’t it a little rude to label someone “ordinary”, or is it to dilute the concept of “being extraordinary”? Because it’s a trivial necessity in life. 

The dichotomy that classifies things as ordinary and extraordinary festered within me as a pressing concern. I mean, how do we put that layer on someone or something? Are there any definite criteria to meet? Is it important that one should do extraordinary things? Or is this always about doing ordinary things extraordinarily? All these questions circle back to one final proposition – being ordinary is lame and undervalued. Because nothing is special about it – “You are just another person trying to survive”. 

While lingering on this thought, I decided to take notice of some mundane moments. And how do I decide it is ordinary?. It happens every day and to everybody, and nothing’s grand about it. It’s not a miracle. It just happens.

For instance – A cat resting on the sidewalk, a mother trying to feed her 6-year-old kid, lights flickering on and off, achieving eye contact with a stranger, eating your favourite meal, putting effort to look pleasant, listening to your favourite music, being able to express openly, stage fright, collecting flowers, bees hovering for honey, watching the same movie profusely, bored of this rat race, the urge to disappear, reminsicing childhood, exhausted mindset, birds flying above your head, making your partner laugh, learning new things, emotions that feel tangible, the thought of being loved, passing the exam on borderline, broken hearts, restless thoughts, watching the clouds recede, cooking your favourite meal, time spent with your friends, not being able to travel, unable to overcome the grief, and writing this never ending list of ordinary things. 

Ordinary things are indefinite. You know why? Because things themselves can’t be defined as extraordinary. They need a hint of explanation, which is nothing but a bunch of arguments created by us – specific reasons, excuses, perceptions. It’s just one person’s thought that is widely agreed upon or appreciated as a new and unfamiliar case. Extraordinary things are considered to surpass the basic standard, which are attained only if they are out of the norm. But they are nothing but a usual thing which has been spruced up, met with the expectations of someone heavily opinionated.

And here arises another problem. If that thing which is perceived as extraordinary is done by someone very normal, people tend to rethink the nomenclature. For some irrational reasons, that so-called “it’s extraordinary” loses its origin, disappears into the shadows, chased by egoistic voices, and finally trails towards “becoming a cliche”. Why? Is that because someone with broken wings decided to fly? Should extraordinary things always be rarely available? I would never understand this discrimination. In my opinion, it is absurd and just a condescending person’s mindless pursuit.

Maybe the people who label others or their work as ordinary will also end up staying that way. Maybe there are extraordinary deeds which don’t include punishing and contemning what seems ordinary. Because being ordinary is being human – there’s no shame in that, right? And if you take a close look, every normal thing carries something special within. You just need to look for it. 

Anyway, it has been a very long ramble. If you have read this far, you should definitely check out the movie which instilled this debate inside me. And let me know what your take on its title is!

Ps – Feel free to comment on how many times I used the word ordinary 🙂