A lesson I’ve had to learn many times over, before finally settling in. For those who know me well, I’m a competitive SOB. Live for competition – on the field, court, ice, & even w debate. It drives me, when it’s HEALTHY!
We’re living in a world rt now where there’s so much unhealthy competition. How can I even say this when pro/college sports are a blip on the radar? Let me explain:
You go on these msg boards abt schools’ choices & – parents are competing w parents (then parents w teachers, teachers w BOE, etc.) abt “who’s right” in the return to school full/hybrid/virtual debate. You go near social media & ppl are competing for your time/ear abt politics & who you should vote for. You listen to the news or friends & they discuss issues/topics like 1st &/or 2nd amendment, protests, etc., & everyone is telling you one “side” is right, one is wrong.
I picked this pic, bc it’s of my buddy “Newman” & I back at our old stomping grounds, our HS b-ball court.
His senior yr/my junior yr, we made it to the county semi-finals w a team that all loved one another. Loved to compete. We lost that semi-final game. It was crushing…but it was revealed a few days later, the best player on the team we lost to, had been playing illegally, a 5th yr, after previously transferring. What did the county do? Nothing. The next game had already been played. Couldn’t penalize the other team. We could complain but it’d get us nowhere. Fairly or unfairly we couldn’t change the outcome. An early life lesson.
Here’s the point – so many of us are used to competing & getting our way. Grade school, HS, even college, & if you are/were a competitor & worked harder/smarter than others, chances are you got what you wanted – made the team, got the grade, etc. In the real world, unfortunately we’ve learned, it doesn’t work like that.
There are strong opinions. There’s strong debate…& there’ll be outcomes we don’t like – for schools, for political offices, for laws passed/overturned. It’s healthier – after we don’t “get our way” to compete at the next thing, than to keep complaining abt how we’re still right. Complaining is corrosive.
