Ordinarily Extraordinary

           “You’ll never be content,” are the words that resonated inside his head every time he thought of his father.

           Rick grew up in a dysfunctional home. His mother was a lieutenant in the United States Army, and his father was the manager of a bank. Both parents were extremely structured and disciplined, but Rick seemed to deviate from the path of order. He rarely saw his parents because of their careers, so he was raised for the most part by his Aunt Iris, a stay-at-home mom with three kids of her own.

           Rick became defiant by the time he was twelve, lighting off fireworks in front of the police station, and stealing bottles of alcohol from the liquor cabinet to share with his friends. His parents tried to send him away to a summer camp once, but he was sent back after running into the girls’ shower.

           Numerous times, Rick’s parents would beg him to do better in school, but Rick would much rather hang out with his friends and listen to music all day and night. Rick’s mother suggested that he enlist with the army after he turned eighteen, but again, he was against it.

           One day, while in the care of his aunt, Rick was brought to the mall. Iris toted her three children around, one in a stroller, and two holding hands. The most difficult part was trying to get Rick to stay within sight of her. He would spot a friend in the distance and run off, and Iris would have to try and catch up with him.

           After his third attempt at escape, Iris coaxed Rick into carrying some shopping bags for her, and that did it. With Rick now under control, she could finish her errands and get out of there.

           As they walked past the food court, a large sign caught Rick’s attention; it read, “Learn to be ordinarily extraordinary.” He was intrigued and begged his aunt to let him check it out quickly. She eventually agreed, and they all approached a plain-looking gentleman wearing tan pants and a light blue shirt. His hair was cut short, and he was of average height and build.

           “Welcome,” the man said. “Please, give me your attention for just a few minutes. My name is Walter, but that is of little significance. Have you ever wanted to feel important, but lacked the skills to really stand out in the crowd?” Rick was agreeing inside his own mind.

           “Let me tell you how that can be achieved then,” the man continued. “All it takes is a little confidence and the belief that you can make a difference. Now, that doesn’t sound so difficult, does it?” Rick shook his head.

           “I can teach you how to use the qualities that you already possess to be the best person you can be and make people take notice of you in the process. Does that sound interesting to you?” Rick nodded in agreement.

           Iris tried to pull him away, believing the man was nothing but a con artist that was going to try and convince Rick to give up his savings for a better life, but Rick refused to leave. He wanted to hear what the man had to say. His aunt gave up trying and had a seat nearby with her kids.

           “My boy,” he began. “Let me ask you something: What do you feel are your best qualities?”

           Rick replied, “I don’t know, I guess I can make my friends laugh, oh, and I am good at sports too.”

           “Very good. What was your name again?” The man asked and Rick told him.

           “Okay, Rick, so you have a sense of humor, that’s great! Making someone laugh or smile is an amazing gift. Did you know that if you smile at random strangers, most of them will smile back? I challenge you to try it out. Something as simple as a smile could make the difference between a good day and a difficult day for someone.”

           Rick thought about those words for a minute and considered how miserable he had felt at times throughout his life. Making jokes became his defence mechanism to cover up what he was truly feeling inside…depressed.

           “Alright, so you say you like sports too, right? What do you play?”

           “I play baseball, but I really like football,” Rick said.

           “That’s awesome!” Walter exclaimed. “So, you probably have a lot of energy, right?”

           “Yes, I guess I do.”

           “Have you ever sat in the stands at a football game and tried to get the crowd excited about your team? Maybe you got up and started cheering the team on, or you painted your face in the team colors to show your support. Have you done anything like that?”

           “Yeah, I guess I have once or twice. I can almost guarantee that at least one other person around you saw you and decided to join your frivolity.”

           “The point I am trying to make, Rick, is that you don’t need to be the best looking, the smartest, or the most talented person to be noticed. You just need to be the best of you. Look deep inside yourself and bring out the qualities that make you stand out among your friends. Look at me! Do I look like someone that people come to for advice? No, but here you are. Just take my advice and think about the things that you like about you, then share those gifts with those around you, and you WILL see a change in your life. Thanks for taking the time to listen to me, and now go out and be ordinarily extraordinary!”

           Rick smiled and walked back to rejoin his aunt and little cousins. Iris was pleased to see a smile upon his face for a change, and it made her smile.

           The following day, Rick decided to walk to school instead of taking the bus, so he left earlier and headed down his street in the direction of the school. An elderly woman walked toward him with her Yorkshire Terrier. The dog began to bark, but Rick put on a big smile and the woman smiled back. He then leaned over to say hello to the dog, and after a few seconds, the dog quieted down and licked Rick’s fingers.

           A little further along, a husband and wife were jogging up the sidewalk, so once again, he produced a smile, and when they made eye contact, they both smiled back. He couldn’t believe it was that simple.

           As he neared the corner of the street that his school was on, he spotted a homeless man sitting on the hard concrete sidewalk, propped up against the wall of a convenience store. The man was dirtied and had a foul stench coming from him, so Rick was going to try and avoid eye contact and race past, but something inside him made him look. When their eyes met, Rick felt his heart clench. The man’s pale blue eyes penetrated Rick’s soul, and before he knew it, he felt a smile coming upon his face. The man teared up and returned the smile. His rotting teeth, blackened by his years on the street, still showed the most heartfelt smile Rick had ever seen.

           “Thank you for taking the time to notice me,” said the homeless man. “Most people just walk past and ignore me completely. Your smile made me feel wanted again. Thank you so much, son.”

           Rick’s experience with the homeless man was life changing. All day long, he was telling his friends about the homeless man, and the lesson he learned from Walter at the mall. Some of his friends thought he was crazy, where others wanted to know more about his discovery.

           Every day, Rick made a point of stopping by the convenience store to say hello to the homeless man. He found out that his name was John, and he was a veteran from the Gulf War back in 1990. When he got back, he couldn’t find work and ended up on the street. Occasionally, Rick would bring John some food to eat. He even convinced his mother to try and find help for John through her connections in the military. Seeing the positive change in her son was all the coaxing she needed. Even his father could notice the change. He began to spend more quality time with Rick.

           As the years passed, and Rick finished college and started a life of his own, he had never forgotten the lesson that Walter had taught him and spent every opportunity trying to make people smile and began teaching others how they can turn their lives around in a positive way as well. All they needed, was to be ordinarily extraordinary.