OK,
you probably knew that. We all do. We’ve heard it from preschool and
kindergarten teachers, greeting cards, posters, and (hopefully) our own
parents. And it’s true.
It’s
even biblical. Yep, the sacred Scriptures speak of human specialness from cover to cover.
We’re all special.
.
.
But how special is
special?
English
teacher David McCullough, Jr., who happens to be the son of a Pulitzer Prize-winning
Presidential biographer (How
special is that?), launched a Commencement Ceremony warning shot on specialness to the 2012 graduating class at
Massachusetts’ Wellesley High School.
“Your
ceremonial costume… shapeless, uniform, one-size-fits-all. Whether male or
female, tall or short, scholar or slacker, spray-tanned prom queen or
intergalactic X-Box assassin, each of you is dressed, you’ll notice, exactly
the same. And your diploma… but for your name, exactly the same.
“All of this is as it should be, because none of you is
special. You are not special. You are not
exceptional. Contrary to what your soccer trophy suggests, your glowing seventh
grade report card, despite every assurance of a certain corpulent purple dinosaur,
that nice Mister Rogers and your batty Aunt Sylvia, no matter how often your
maternal caped crusader has swooped in to save you… you’re nothing special,”
McCullough said.
.
.
Hold on for McCullough’s
ending, which is really special.
“The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the
recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is,” the educator
concluded.
The video of McCullough’s
address to the Class of 2012 went viral.
Have we overdone “special”?
This
is the Special Plate. Maybe you’ve seen this popular gift shop item.
Ours
was a wedding gift, a quarter of a century ago, from the pastor who did our
wedding. Actually, his very special wife picked it out. They give it to every
couple they marry.
.
.
Waechtersbach’s
“You Are Special Today” plate
carries a tradition.
It’s
supposed to be used for momentous occasions, such as anniversaries, birthdays,
and graduations. Use of the shiny red
dish may also offer recognition for achievements (like a job promotion,
athletic feats, or a top grade on a school test), or even raise the spirits of
a family member who is not feeling well or is having a rough day.
Used
appropriately, the Special Plate can make someone feel somewhat special. That’s
sort of the idea, after all.
In
our house, however, the Special Plate has become faded and scratched from
overuse. A certain family member chooses and uses it every single day, even for
reheating leftovers. And, although this glazed ceramic plate is supposed to be
hand-washed, ours has endured countless journeys through the automatic
dishwasher.
Our Special Plate has lost
its specialness.
In
fact, it’s become a joke. We’ve been known to hide it under everyday plates,
just to see what happens. No matter where we put it, the Special Plate ends up
on the dinner table.
Maybe
Dana Carvey’s famous “Church Lady” from NBC’s Saturday Night Live said it best:
.
.
.
Perhaps our Special Plate really
is special, after all, simply for the lesson it provides.
We
may all be special, just because we were made that way. But we cannot make
ourselves more special by calling ourselves so. There’s something sort of empty
about self-praise – just like the now dingy Special Plate in my dishwasher.
Which
would you rather hear?
“You are
special.”
or
“I am special.”
Which would you rather say?
Gee,
that certain someone’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks. Maybe we should order the matching “You Are Special Today” mug.
.
.
Image/s:
"You Are Special" Plate
Photos by Linda Ann Nickerson
Photos by Linda Ann Nickerson
Nickers and Ink Creative
Communications
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I've never met a parent who didn't think his/her kid was special or exceptional. Of course if everyone is; nobody is. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is hysterical. We have the special plate, too, and use it mostly on birthdays nowadays (since the kids are adults - no more report cards and such). I love the fact that somebody in your household (somebody who probably is your husband) loves using the plate so much. Isn't that special!
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