By Samantha McKenzie

“By the time! Surely man is in loss, except those who believe and do good, and exhort one another to truth, and exhort one another to patience.” Holy Qu’ran, Chapter 103

I don’t like mediocre, ordinary, uninspiring, middle-of-the-road, lackluster, amateurish, unstudied, indifferent anything.

I don’t like the spiritless, almost done, unrehearsed, passionless, unremarkable, unenthusiastic, forgettable, underwhelming, lackadaisical, underachieving, lethargic either.

I miss the days of the experts – men and women who studied long and hard to perfect their craft no matter what they were passionate about (law, music, crossword puzzles, etc.).

I miss real people who were diligent and consistent at what they invested their time in. I miss the days of teachers who would stay behind to help you figure out a math problem or call your parents if they thought you were falling behind. I miss God-fearing preachers – the ones who knew the real work of saving souls happened after Sunday. I miss doctors who made house visits and grandmothers who found medicine in their gardens. I miss gardens, too.

I miss singers who just sangggggg – giving us pure vocals and dew drops of their souls. I miss songs that healed the pain and renewed our joy. I miss resumes that proved you were overqualified. I miss smart people and those who challenged your thinking.

I miss excellence and overachievers,  geniuses and brilliance. I miss old people who could pick a child out of a crowded room and tell them what they were destined to be.

I miss discussions filled with factual knowledge that couldn’t really be debated. And the look on the faces the exact moment when the light bulb went off. I miss good old-fashioned wisdom, from those who’ve been there, done that, and seen it all.

Instead, I’m left in this existence. One in which everyone is just okay with being okay and giving just enough to get by.  We’re no longer aiming for the gold, we’re not even signing up to be in the race. We’re not putting in our own sweat equity, we’re waiting to jump onto yours. We’re no longer sharing war stories, fighting the good fight, or even being proud that we started from the bottom anymore. We just wanna be on top without due process, passing go with a mere $200. We’re happily sliding in through loopholes and faking it along the way.

Just seems to me that “by any means necessary” these days, lacks the character that Malcolm once gave it.

We, the mediocre people, are represented by the despicable few.

Presidents don’t need to be presidential, they can be, well, mediocre at best.

Authors are no longer writers.

Stardom shines, but this time, without talent.

And leaders need leadership.

‘Tis the season.