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Taking Names and Keeping Score
All of us, but especially those that call Leroy and Sweet Water home, were thrilled that the Bears and Bulldogs prevailed in their respective efforts to win a 2A and IA state championship. Watching the coaches and players, who had spent hours and hours of hard work over the past year preparing for the chance to play in the championship game, celebrate their victory and fully realize the fruition of their goals and dreams was exciting and heartwarming. Looking into the eyes of the parents and supporters and sensing the joy and pride that was swelling up within them over what their sons and the sons of their friends and neighbors had accomplished left no doubt that these were communities where people still love each other and support their school and young people. Any one around the celebration couldn’t help but feel the positive energy that was seemingly emanating from everyone involved. Unfortunately a one-point loss by a Thomasville team that dominated almost every aspect of their 4A championship game except the final score, allowed us to experience the agony of defeat as well. With the defeat, the heartache and tears that were evident on the faces of every player and coach, left no doubt in anyone’s mind just how disappointed they were and how at that moment all the hard work and effort they had put forth to get there seemed to be for naught. Seeing the pain and disappointment in the eyes of parents and Tiger supporters who braved the almost unbearably cold temperatures to try and console the players, coaches and each other was sad, but once again left no doubt that Thomasville, like Leroy and Sweet Water, was a community where people love and care about each other and support their school and young people. Being an eternal optimist by nature, I am one who does his best to find good in everyone and in every situation. Obviously in situations like those we experienced this past week at the Super Six Championships it was easy for everyone including me to feel good about the wins but by the same token it was very difficult and still is to some degree, to find something positive to pull from the loss. I suppose even an optimist has a hard time walking a mile with misery. I know there are some of you reading this that would be quick to tell me that the emotions we feel about wining or losing a football game at any level pale in comparison to those that are experienced every day in parts of the world where poverty and death are an everyday occurrence and pain and sorry constant companions. And in the grand scheme of things you are exactly right. But please indulge the rest of us that can find joy and excitement in winning such a trivial thing as a football championship or be very disappointed and hurt when we lose one. Let us revel in our joy over winning for as long as we can and process through our misery over losing for as long as it takes, because whenever those periods are over we still will be faced with the reality that there are many people, maybe even some we know, who awake each day in a place where poverty and death are all they know and sorry and pain all they feel.
Until next time……..be safe!
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