Tornado passed over last night and changed people’s perspectives on about everything. Power outages in the Midwest tend to have that same effect. The smoke from California wildfires has been changing the weather here for days, hazy weather and the slight smell of wood smoke in the air giving me pause when I realize it’s not my neighbors firing up their grills on a workday.
I am disturbed by your friend's words. Your old friend's comment that after a career of educating the future citizens of our world and she exclaims " I hate children". I know this was an out-of-the-blue and emotional reflex that she would deny if asked later. Emotions are the ether of human thoughts and like ether dissipate as fast as they appear. A lifetime of commitment to education speaks for itself. There was a spark of inspiration that started her life's path but its realities show our dreams in a different hue.
Maybe I'm a "wet blanket", but, especially when the competitors are young, I wonder about the "human cost" of sports competitions. My husband's brother drove his kids to become competitive swimmers. I got the impression that he withheld his love if they didn't perform up to his expectations. It seemed to be the only point of their existence that mattered to him as the competitive level increased. In another example, our company's employee club rented a sailing ship (with a hidden motor) to wander around the Catalina channel near Los Angeles. While we were "at sea," a young gymnastic competitor began talking with me about her training. Every so often, she'd sneak a glance in the direction of her gung-ho father. I got the impression that she was involved in the competitions more to impress him, to gain a place in his heart, than for any enjoyment she found in performing the sport herself. I wondered what kind of pressure she'd feel after the competitions if she didn't "Win the Gold." And yet, of all the young people involved, there's generally only one "winner" in a solo sport. It seems to me that how many "records" are broken in an intensely competitive sport is as important as how many "HEARTS."
On the other hand, one of my coworkers in California tried out for the Olympic Cycling Team. She did well in training camp, and only missed a seat on the team by a fractional amount. She loved to train by riding miles and miles on deserted roads with her husband on weekends. Cycling was something she chose to do, for herself, and it was an integral part of her. She understood that she might not win, and factored that into her competitive aspirations.
I wonder about the long-term psychological aspects of Olympic competition? Does it matter, if "The Drive" comes from the inside or the outside? And what about long-term psychological effects, especially on the "Also-Rans?" Is that level of intense competition worth it for the performers over the long term? The Five Rings seems to be a commercial money-winner, much of the time, for at least some of those involved. But what about the human costs to those on the field, themselves?
Suni will not always be a world-class gymnast (though she will always have been one, true enough). But there will always be room for a bright English teacher will new discoveries about, say, Dickens or Faulkner, Swift ... or Keillor. Endless imaginative wealth beckons,
We can't enjoy grilling outside, the smoke is unbreathable from the west coast fires and is still 90 degrees at ten. Our county health department tried to undo our legislator's decision that nobody can mandate masks. The intelligent democrats got voted out by our republican representatives. Yes, I live in Utah a very red state. But the worst part of it was the anti masker mothers who cheered the decision on like a bunch of high schoolers at a basketball game! We do have our choice, fortunately, but there still are some people with wisdom in our state!
Tornado passed over last night and changed people’s perspectives on about everything. Power outages in the Midwest tend to have that same effect. The smoke from California wildfires has been changing the weather here for days, hazy weather and the slight smell of wood smoke in the air giving me pause when I realize it’s not my neighbors firing up their grills on a workday.
Spot-on -- almost. Why "skinny" girls -- twice???
thanks for the inspiration / while waiting for suni to get on stage with her all star comedy troupe it will do
Beg to differ with the title. A well-earned heart icon, indeed. Bully!
I am disturbed by your friend's words. Your old friend's comment that after a career of educating the future citizens of our world and she exclaims " I hate children". I know this was an out-of-the-blue and emotional reflex that she would deny if asked later. Emotions are the ether of human thoughts and like ether dissipate as fast as they appear. A lifetime of commitment to education speaks for itself. There was a spark of inspiration that started her life's path but its realities show our dreams in a different hue.
You must have really been on(onne, awn, ohn) something in that last poem.
Maybe I'm a "wet blanket", but, especially when the competitors are young, I wonder about the "human cost" of sports competitions. My husband's brother drove his kids to become competitive swimmers. I got the impression that he withheld his love if they didn't perform up to his expectations. It seemed to be the only point of their existence that mattered to him as the competitive level increased. In another example, our company's employee club rented a sailing ship (with a hidden motor) to wander around the Catalina channel near Los Angeles. While we were "at sea," a young gymnastic competitor began talking with me about her training. Every so often, she'd sneak a glance in the direction of her gung-ho father. I got the impression that she was involved in the competitions more to impress him, to gain a place in his heart, than for any enjoyment she found in performing the sport herself. I wondered what kind of pressure she'd feel after the competitions if she didn't "Win the Gold." And yet, of all the young people involved, there's generally only one "winner" in a solo sport. It seems to me that how many "records" are broken in an intensely competitive sport is as important as how many "HEARTS."
On the other hand, one of my coworkers in California tried out for the Olympic Cycling Team. She did well in training camp, and only missed a seat on the team by a fractional amount. She loved to train by riding miles and miles on deserted roads with her husband on weekends. Cycling was something she chose to do, for herself, and it was an integral part of her. She understood that she might not win, and factored that into her competitive aspirations.
I wonder about the long-term psychological aspects of Olympic competition? Does it matter, if "The Drive" comes from the inside or the outside? And what about long-term psychological effects, especially on the "Also-Rans?" Is that level of intense competition worth it for the performers over the long term? The Five Rings seems to be a commercial money-winner, much of the time, for at least some of those involved. But what about the human costs to those on the field, themselves?
Suni will not always be a world-class gymnast (though she will always have been one, true enough). But there will always be room for a bright English teacher will new discoveries about, say, Dickens or Faulkner, Swift ... or Keillor. Endless imaginative wealth beckons,
We can't enjoy grilling outside, the smoke is unbreathable from the west coast fires and is still 90 degrees at ten. Our county health department tried to undo our legislator's decision that nobody can mandate masks. The intelligent democrats got voted out by our republican representatives. Yes, I live in Utah a very red state. But the worst part of it was the anti masker mothers who cheered the decision on like a bunch of high schoolers at a basketball game! We do have our choice, fortunately, but there still are some people with wisdom in our state!
Love your sense of humor and your writing! Your work puts me in a good mood. From one English major to another, I love what you do.