Parlor Spider...Step In, Little Fly

Insightful thoughts and/or rants from atop the soapbox from one who wishes to share the "right" opinion with everyone.

Monday, April 20, 2009

I Think I Can, I Think I Can, I Think I Can


Are you serious? This is Australia's entrant in the Miss Universe thing?

I'm not a fan of beauty contests...I'm not a fan of poularity polls...I'm not a fan of Prom Courts and Homecoming Courts, and I'm not a fan of dodgeball in gym class...and all for the same reason: they are exclusionary activities in which people are told that they're not good enough.(To make it worse in dodgeball, losers have to sit and watch other people get to play: a horrible crime in my book) That Simon guy on the British and American versions of talent shows is a perfect example of the kind of look-down-my-nose-because-I'm-better-than-you attitude that seems to have become an epidemic worldwide.
Sure, we all need to know that we're not perfect, and we all need to know that we have to adjust to failure because adjusting means we're going to try harder or realistically view our real talents...I get that, but somewhere along the line, I think we should be given a dose of confidence. Seriously, how many times do you read about violence occurring after a romantic breakup? Somebody just wasn't good enough; or how about the mass shootings that occur because someone lost a job or feels picked on, or...well, you get the idea. When we are told repeatedly that we are simply not good enough, it HAS to get frustrating.
Think of all the frustration evidenced on the "elimination" TV shows. Don't we (editorially speaking) watch those things partly to see people suffer much like we go to hockey to see fights or (ugh!) NASCAR racing just for the crashes or the confrontations between drivers over some paint-swapping? This fascination with not being good enough is mystifying. Kara Goucher is a prime example.
Of course, you don't know hwo she is...I didn't either until today, mostly because I don't pay attention much to running anymore because it's just a painful reminder that I can no longer run...or barely jog, for that matter. (That's MY not-good-enough for now).
Anyway, Goucher finished third in this year's Boston Marathon today and immediately broke into tears. She noted that she wanted to win it for "everybody." Having an American so close to the front has seldom happened lately...the last American winner was in 1985 when the American women went 1-2-3, and the men finished 2-3. Prolonged chants of "U.S.A." could be heard all along the course as Goucher and Ryan Hall both finished third. And yet, by finishing third, Goucher concluded that she just wasn't good enough. Yes, it was a slow race by most standards, but it was THE BOSTON MARATHON, for God's sake, and it was run into a serious headwind (Heartbreak Hill isn't enough?). I'm sorry, but that finish doesn't say to me that she's not good enough, especially since my best finish at that race was somewhere around 650th. Perhaps she'll reflect on just what an accomplishment this was. She's definitely good enough in my book.
It's a pity we all can't feel that way.
Say it with me:
I'M GOOD ENOUGH, I'M SMART ENOUGH, AND DOGGONE IT, PEOPLE LIKE ME!

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