Reading I Just Wanna Be Average by Mike Rose was admittedly slightly difficult. The reason for this was not due to it being hard material or me just not wanting to read it, it was difficult mainly because I have had a lot going on lately and I am so stressed that it is hard to concentrate on any work. If I had not been dealing with bad situations, it makes me wonder if I would have had a much easier time reading the passage. My whole life I have been really big into reading, I would choose staying inside to read a book over playing outside with friends any day, no matter the weather. But now that I have grown up, I have come to find that I have more distractions in my life, thus making it more difficult to complete a reading. For example, while reading I Just Wanna Be Average, I found that I was constantly checking my emails and websites to see  if any updates on my situation have been brought to light. The more I have on my plate, the more I find I cannot concentrate on reading or even just on assignments in general.

In I Just Wanna Be Average, Mike Rose heard a classmate, Ken Harvey, say, “I just wanna be average,” and it got him to think about his life over time, saying himself, “His sentence has stayed with me all these years, and I think I am finally coming to understand it.” With statements such as from Ken, one may not put a rhyme or reason to it that connects it to their life. Instead, such as with Rose, it may take some time to simmer in one’s brain until eventually that person puts meaning behind it, applies it to their own life and makes connections to help improve their life. Rose touches upon how no matter how good you may be at something, it always seems as though there is someone out there showing you up and proving that you are nowhere near the best. Many people choose to just blend in, if you do not stand out then you cannot be compared to others. What Rose is saying is you should step out of your comfort zone, challenge all thoughts of your own and those around you.