Mike Rose in his essay “I Just Wanna Be Average” narrate about his experience in vocational school, “ euphemism for the bottom level” (183). It was by mistake that Rose end up into that kind of a school. Nevertheless, he did not protest, he accepted vocational path as his own. Rose gives many details, providing full profiles of his teachers, classmates and surrounding. On one side are teachers who are not interested in what they are teaching, without real lessons plans, without skills and knowledge about topic that they are presenting. From other side Los Angeles provides complex variety of personalities and it is visible from his classmates, their profiles, behavior and actions.
They are different not only by background, origins, but also with their attitudes and way of thinking. Again, there are many similarities between peers; no desire to learn, to achieve something, constant slacking off, partying and getting into troubles. Rose is not only pointing what is visible from outside but also their personalities, their true nature and that they are not mess or troublemakers.
One classmate that really moved Rose was Ken Harvey with his statement “I just wanna be average.” (186).That made him wanders about his own approach and his own ideas about life and education. School defined them as “slow”, with subjects that are not there to help them to evolve, to learn, to improve themselves “but to occupy, , train you” (186). Rose see young people who are not moving on, no progress, no future, just surviving and waiting for bell to go out of school. Rose finds solution in “Reject the confusion and frustration by openly defining yourself as the Common Joe” (187). Keep your head down, do not attract attention, and avoid all activities that can bring you above average. Be invisible, shade, small and just try to make another day. Proper way to succeed in being Common Joe is to be dumb or at least to pretend to be. Pretend to be bored, try not to use any mental any intellectual activity. Use simple words, reacted as bored, do not pay attention to professors and just be ignorant to most of the things. Be mediocre, solve simple problems, pass exams and don not ask for more. It is essential to have proper defense mechanism, full of sarcasm and ignorance.
Ignorance and mediocre can be a bliss “But like all strong magic, et exacts a price” as is stated by Rose (187). It is not clear what kind of compensation, what price, he is talking about until he changes the school. He was not ready for such a change, being average in vocational school is not same as being average in typical school. There are new obstacles in front of him. He was way behind others in the math. Chemistry was too hard for him; instead of fooling around and waiting for class to finish, he needed to solve chemical equations that he never seen before. He was aware that there were subjects that he should know from previous school and he did not. Not only that he lacked knowledge but also focus, it was hard to concentrate and follow the lectures. It was hard because he did not really follow the lectures before and partly because they were hard for him. His mind wandered around, looking for something different, something more exciting and stimulating. Life brought him another change and transformation.
Rose`s father dies somewhere during his first year at College Prep program. That was big event for him but in every bad thing, there is something good. Soon after that, Mr. MacFarland comes as a new teacher for senior English at his school. Mr. MacFarland was quite strange professor, at least by his appearance. It was hard to believe that he was real teacher, with stained teeth, wrinkled pants and some strange tie. Stranger than his look was his behavior, he pushed and motivated them, students were eager to learn and gather knowledge. Things changed now; there were three or four essays per month, two books per month and quiz every day. He gave them names of all the writers and philosophers and encouraged them to read it, to test it, to try it and to make their own conclusion. With such nurturing attitude, even some difficult people became easy to manage. MacFarland succeed in teaching students that there is much more than being average, they can be much more, do better and gain even more. Rose is ready to accept “ I`d been mediocre for too long and enjoyed a public redefinition”. Rose is pursuing his writing and reading passion and became good friends with two other students. He realizes something new “Knowledge was becoming a bonding agent” (193). Friendship that he had before with his friends from vocational school is weak compared to this new one. It was first time that he connects with someone so strong and deeply. He understands that with knowledge, skills, and different attitude he can be more, he can do more. Now he can visit a museum, travel, watch some movie and be able to comprehend different cultures, see things from different perspective and understand them better. It can be either positive or negative but change is inevitable.
Rose is showing that being average can be beneficial but it is interconnection with environment. Shift of environment request change of average level. By giving up on something, by lowering skills, strength and intellect it is possible to achieve certain things. Being too long in such state can create great damage that is not even visible until change of environment. Such attitude of not raising head almost cost Rose his chance for college. Walking with straight head and looking forward, finding passion and working hard can bring many benefits. Surrounded by good friends, nurturing environment and with positive attitude Rose is ready to go forward, to live without limits and boundaries. To be what he is and to succeed in what he wants.
Work Cited
Rose, Mike. "I Just Wanna Be Average." Lives on the Boundary. 1989. Print.
