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I was driving home from work the other day, listening to the DJs prattling, and it was just so much background noise until I realized they were talking about the Olympics, more specifically, their opinion about the announcement the Canadian Olympic committee had just made they were expecting our team to bring home at least 25 medals. Now, I will be the first to admit I don't know squat about the Olympics, I've never been one for competitive sports and I've never followed the games, so to me, 25 medals sounded pretty good, yeah, go team, but apparently, I was mistaken. These local radio jockeys went on, at length, and quite derisively not only about what a feeble aspiration that was, apparently, compared to the goals - and current achievements - of the US and Chinese team in particular, but they were pretty scornful of our Canadian team, noting with no small measure of nasty glee that to date we'd pretty much racked up zippo in the medals department. So, there I was, inching my way through rush hour traffic, listening to this athletic bash-athon, and I started mulling over the whole 'competitive' thing our society is hung up on. Here are these kids who've worked their guts out, trained for years to be at these games, I can't even begin to imagine the hours they've spent, the things they've sacrificed, the pain, the strain and for what? So a couple of loud-mouthed on-air yutzes can cruelly trivialize their courage and commitment, not to mention their accomplishment, because they're not…winning. I'm reasonably certain the only way I'm ever going to see the inside of an Olympic Stadium is if I buy a ticket; for sure I'm never going to be where those kids are now (and neither are the radio bozos), but those fine young people made it, they're doing something amazing while the world watches and marvels at their skill, strength and speed. They are true champions, every single one, the best of the best, but the sad fact remains, for each test of their mettle, there can be only one winner. And when at last it is all over, for the have-nots, will pride in their enormous personal accomplishment of getting to be a participant be enough to mitigate the disappointment of not being 'good' enough to bring home those little metal disks? For a lot of them, I think not. And I don't know about you, but that makes me very sad for them. Our society is all about winning. About being the best of the best. Oh, we talk about winning not being everything, and we tell our kids that, but a Saturday afternoon at the local sports field can soon put the boots to that quaint notion. Kids' sports can be pretty brutal – and that's just when the parents get into it. There's not much room for less than the best. For those who want to play simply because they love the game, whether they possess either skill or aptitude. We applaud and encourage excellence, I wish we would be as quick to recognize and reward honest passion and pride, and praise those who try their damndest, even if the best they can do, for all their striving, is to drop the ball. So, while you're loudly lauding the winners in your life, spare a moment, if you will, to recognize the participants. Acknowledge that passion is honest, and effort is commendable, and even if fortune hasn't seen fit to grace the player with exceptional skills, heart should count for something.Everyone who tries is a winner. We should maybe do a little more to make them feel like one. Something to consider. Take care and be happy Phoenix
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