"Do your best." What an outrageous, stupid request to make of any student. I wasn't provoked by that phrase at school today, or anytime recently; I just started thinking about it while I vacuumed and continued through the dishes. I have never, ever done my best at anything. I don't even know what I'm capable of. But asking someone's best is not something for school, or sports, or any kind of normal situation. It's for a time when it's truly needed, when the consequences could be more than severe inconvenience or humiliation.
I hear people saying that they don't deserve a bad grade, that they tried their best. Could anyone truly claim that they give every ounce of their strength and will to anything they encounter in high school? Or even in college? Nor should they try, because there's very little that's worth that kind of sacrifice.
Doubtless, many go through life without ever doing their best at anything. I don't want to be one of those; I want to be able to look back and point to something that was worth fighting for. But I will not ever claim to have done my best on anything in high school.
posted on Monday, October 13, 2003
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