My kids love to swim. So much so that they both joined a local competitive swimming team. Like most kids who love their sport, they talk about who they want to be in their sport. For them it's Michael Phelps with a slight leaning toward Ryan Lochte because of his performance in the last Summer Olympics. I, personally, would like to be more like Lily Aldridge or Candice Swanepoel, or maybe I like Lily and Candice, they are wearing swimsuits in the pictures I have, and that's almost the same thing, right?
Right.
Go Team Bikini.
Onward.
I have also heard other children talk about their sport's heroes from football, baseball, etc. They all want to be <insert major professional athlete of your choice>. Adults are the same. They praise the same athletes. Worship them for the work. Wear their names on their shirts. Some go so far as to get tattoos of the athlete's number on random body parts, "I got a tattoo of Brady's number because he rocks! Want to see it? Did it BIG so there was only enough room for one number per cheek..." Some may go too far.
Now, don't get me wrong. I fully appreciate the hard work that all professional athletes put into their game: quarterbacks need to be able to read the field on the fly, wrestlers need to feel the energy of their opponent and react on honed instinct alone, and curlers have about the cleanest floors anywhere; but why do we treat them like heroes. Are their athletic skills impressive? Yes. Do they inspire others to work harder in their sport of choice? Sure. Are the buns, as my wife likes to say, "very hot?" I guess.
But heroes?
They don't save lives. They don't educate children. They don't take a bullet to the chest so I don't have to. They don't buy my wife expensive things and say they're from me. They don't sacrifice themselves to make things better. They sacrifice themselves to make themselves better, which in turn makes their sport better to watch. They are willing to go the extra yard, the extra mile, the extra fight to give themselves the extra edge; but I'm not sure if this makes them a hero.
If it does to you, then I stand corrected, yet, let me ask you this: If putting in the extra effort makes them a hero... what's stopping you from being your own hero? You admire them for everything they are, for everything they do. Why not you? Will you get to their level? Probability says you won't. Will you get to your best level? Probability says you will.
Don't treat them like they're better than you. Better in their sport, absolutely. Better at jet-setting around the globe and partying like rock stars? Yep. Better looking in spandex? The vote is still out on that one. Better people than you? Nope. They are just people who found what they are good at and were willing to try harder than everyone else.
Admire them. Rejoice in their accomplishments. Ogle their supermodel girlfriends. Then put your cape and tights on and be a hero to someone else, even if it's only to your kids. Especially if it's to your kids.
Right.
Go Team Bikini.
Onward.
I have also heard other children talk about their sport's heroes from football, baseball, etc. They all want to be <insert major professional athlete of your choice>. Adults are the same. They praise the same athletes. Worship them for the work. Wear their names on their shirts. Some go so far as to get tattoos of the athlete's number on random body parts, "I got a tattoo of Brady's number because he rocks! Want to see it? Did it BIG so there was only enough room for one number per cheek..." Some may go too far.
Now, don't get me wrong. I fully appreciate the hard work that all professional athletes put into their game: quarterbacks need to be able to read the field on the fly, wrestlers need to feel the energy of their opponent and react on honed instinct alone, and curlers have about the cleanest floors anywhere; but why do we treat them like heroes. Are their athletic skills impressive? Yes. Do they inspire others to work harder in their sport of choice? Sure. Are the buns, as my wife likes to say, "very hot?" I guess.
But heroes?
They don't save lives. They don't educate children. They don't take a bullet to the chest so I don't have to. They don't buy my wife expensive things and say they're from me. They don't sacrifice themselves to make things better. They sacrifice themselves to make themselves better, which in turn makes their sport better to watch. They are willing to go the extra yard, the extra mile, the extra fight to give themselves the extra edge; but I'm not sure if this makes them a hero.
If it does to you, then I stand corrected, yet, let me ask you this: If putting in the extra effort makes them a hero... what's stopping you from being your own hero? You admire them for everything they are, for everything they do. Why not you? Will you get to their level? Probability says you won't. Will you get to your best level? Probability says you will.
Don't treat them like they're better than you. Better in their sport, absolutely. Better at jet-setting around the globe and partying like rock stars? Yep. Better looking in spandex? The vote is still out on that one. Better people than you? Nope. They are just people who found what they are good at and were willing to try harder than everyone else.
Admire them. Rejoice in their accomplishments. Ogle their supermodel girlfriends. Then put your cape and tights on and be a hero to someone else, even if it's only to your kids. Especially if it's to your kids.
Up, up, and away,
Illustrious
