Five-minute free writes, Day 27 - "Better"

"Better" is an interesting word because of its position in a cascade of descriptors.  In other words, it sits squarely between "good" and "best."

I wonder when "good" became an adjective that almost means "bad"? It's a lowly little adjective, content to muddle along in its day-to-day business, conscientiously doing its job and expecting little. I'm thinking about the ways we value achievement.  When did we stop praising "good"?

We say to our toddlers when they correctly identify a color or a number, "good job!"  And it is a good job; the concepts of colors and numbers must explode in the tiny brains of almost-two-year-olds like the Theory of Relativity. We don't say, "But can you do better?  Don't you want to be the best?"

No, that becomes part of life when report cards enter the picture.  Or when youth sports takes over the family's life. Or when the choice of college becomes a life-or-death issue.

I wish we could relax. I want someone to tell me I did a good job, and I promise to be content with that.