Why me?

Well this is an age old question. I'm sorry to say but it may be construed a sort of whining. Let us see if true in my case. When I was 4 years and 7 months old, my father(age 38) was killed in a head on collision between two trains. How could that happen you ask? It occurred in late January of 1945 at 2 A.M. in morning in Eastern Colorado. Human error caused the train collision. They were traveling at high speed around a curve. My father was in the front engine. He jumped and was crushed by a rail car. I remember a white, unopened casket. My father had been a grade school Principal and a Boy Scout Master. He went to the railroad in 1944. He wanted to be of greater value in the war effort. The white casket says a lot.

My poor mother was left to raise 3 children by herself. She worked at two jobs. When I reached age 18, she uprooted us all so I could go to college. I do remember my mother saying that the railroad gave my her a $3000 death benefit(probably about $60000 in today's money). In my mind that was a crime. In any case my mother raised three children by herself. She was a great women and I give thanks.

Why? the agony of defeat

Well as I age, not so gracefully by the way, I am pondering the role of sports. I have either gotten into or supported my grandchildren in sports. But why? and I know not all people are physically involved in sports but many are mentally attached. I think in the end sports are all about life and death. Note things like "live to fight another day", "sudden death playoff". Of course it all comes down to the life and death struggle. The "thrill of victory" is an affirmation of life, of living, of surviving. The "agony of defeat" is in the losing(the loss of life). Of course sports help develop that mental aspect of survival. We practice hard, play hard and that is transferred to the life we live. Thus the value of sports is in helping us prepare to face and defeat adversity(even death). In the end, if you have given your best in sport or life then to put it simply, everything is OK(at the moment of defeat or death)

I remind you of my philosophy - you may beat me,but I am not beaten. I cannot be defeated or beaten by anything or anyone. I will never,ever give in or give up. Even in death I am not defeated.

Why? the Thrill of Victory

My 11 year old grandson is a very good athlete and plays football, basketball and baseball. He is a 5th grader. He has two 6th grade friends who talked him into playing YMCA basketball this year. The problem is their team is playing in a Jr. High league made up of 7th and 8th graders. Understand this, a team with one 5th grader, mostly 6th graders and I think 2 eighth graders. Well anyway they lost the first 2 games by 30-40 points, very ugly.

So the team they played tonight had 3 boys 6'2" and I went to their coach as a kindly old grandfather and asked him to take it easy on my grandson's team(a little private conservation).

My grandson is the point guard. With the score tied and 6 seconds to go, he brought the ball up in a hurry and(no he didn't make the winning shot) he made a perfect pass to our star player who scored just inside the free throw line as time ran out. Final 39-37. The thrill of victory is sweeter after the taste of defeat. They will probably not win another game, but it is all worth it. And you know, life is all about victory and defeat. Defeat shapes and makes us, victory shapes us and makes us and it is really all about the striving(life). I'm feeling old, but satisfied tonight.

why are we here?

a philosophical answer from Robert Kennedy

"Few will have the greatness to bend history; but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and in the total of all these acts will be written the history of this generation...It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is thus shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." Day of Affirmation Address, University of Capetown, South Africa, June 6, 1966.

A scientific answer. Every cell in the human body is bathed in a salt solution that is the same as the ocean of hundreds of millions of years ago. We are here because of evolution and a product of Darwin's Survival of the Fittest

A religious answer. The Protestant Work Ethic. We are here to work and work hard. Most of us are defined by our work.

My answer. Because we have this capability, to see beyond ourselves, we are here for a higher purpose. We have the ability to get outside of ourselves, to have empathy, to care for and raise up our fellow man, the ability to make this world a better place for ourselves and our ancestors. This is why I like the Robert Kennedy quote so much. Individual acts of goodness in the stream of life can create a current for the good.