I'm an average person. Well...an average young adult in relation to ones who studied film in college. I've had an average life, growing up and going to school. I am an average Asian who had good grades in high school and did well enough in college. There's nothing really special about me. I'm not skilled in a particular area that would make me stand out. I just do well enough in a lot of stuff. Maybe that's why I'm unable to get a job so far. I'm an average idealist with dreams and desires, but I'm also average enough to see some reality around me. I dream of getting a good job that I would enjoy, eventually get married, and start my own family while being able to support it. Even while writing this, I imagine this could be the starting narration of a short film. But who would watch a film about an average person?
I'm an average fanboy. What makes a person a fanboy? According to Urban Dictionary, a fanboy is "a passionate fan of various elements of geek culture." What am I a fan of? Nintendo, animation (Japanese and American), manga, etc. It's to the point where I think it would be cool if I could be a voice actor for animation or that it would be cool to teach English in Japan for a year. The latter is more realistic. I even started attempting to teach myself some Japanese. Maybe I'm not so average...maybe I'm just average in relation to a niche type of group.
Recently I got into an anime called The World God Only Knows. The show is not about God, but rather it is about a dating game nerd with the nickname "The God of Conquest". It is about the main character having to capture loose spirits from the hearts of girls. It's more of a comedy. Why am I mentioning this? Well, there is a character in the series named Chihiro. She starts out as a regular background character but eventually grows in importance. Her problem is she's just average. All the other characters conquered have something that makes them stand out, but she is designed to be the "normal person" of the series. That's why Keima, the main character, never really understood her or how to deal with her. She is important in the second half of the last arc recently shown in the anime. However, throughout the whole ordeal, she feels she did not stand out in any way. Chihiro is just an average person who accidentally gets herself involved in something much bigger, and she is only trying to help out in any way she can.
In a way, I saw myself relating to her because I've felt like I'm just an average person who does not have any skills that particularly stood out. Sure, I may have a personality that stands out. That's why people have told me I'm weird or unique in a good way. I just don't know how I could use that personality in a search for a job or to do something big. As far as I know, I don't have any outstanding practical skills I could be using. Like Chihiro, who never joined a club, got slightly above average grades, who felt like she was in the shadows of others who stand out and are set apart, I sometimes feel average in the same way.
However, while Chihiro did seem like just an average girl, the role she played in the series ends up being much bigger than she thought she'd ever be. She starts a band hoping to stand out. Her actions become obstacles at first, but she eventually finds out what is going on and helps out. Because of the ways she helps Keima out, he ends up completing a task to avoid the world ending. Since she gets involved, she eventually stands out and has a much bigger impact than she realizes. Yet, she still feels left out in the end.
Why go into all that detail? I guess what I'm trying to say is I feel like an average person like Chihiro. I have not done anything really important, nor do I think I really stand out besides through my unique personality and interests. I don't have skills that stand out, or at least I think I don't. All I am is a background character...
But maybe I have a bigger role than I realize. Maybe I'm like Chihiro in that I think of myself as just an average person of no importance, but in reality my role and actions have an impact on a much bigger story. The story I'm referring to is not about me. I guess with the time I have here on Earth, what I could be doing is to share the love of God. In what way can I be doing that? I guess it's still something I'm trying to figure out. Maybe relating myself to an anime would be a strange way of speaking what has been on my mind. Maybe I'm not so average. Oh well...
Until next time,
Kenneth
