The Lives of Ordinary Kids/Motif

The lives of ordinary kids is present throughout the graphic novel. Some kids excel in one or more specific areas, but those kids are the exceptions rather than the rule. Greg Heffley is willing to take on just about any challenge, and he is looking for the place he will excel. Meanwhile, he knows he is not the only ordinary kid going about an ordinary life.

One of the many places Greg does not excel is in sports. Greg talks about having fun with soccer when he was in preschool, but he is aware that it was fun because the coaches helped every kid succeed and enforced none of the rules. Greg realizes he does not have the talent or the discipline to develop a talent for sports. His one regret is that Mr. Heffley wishes Greg was good at sports...