Thursday, July 30, 2009

Play to play

Last weekend I competed in a pretty crazy high level sporting event for charity. My partner and I have had a pretty colorful summer. He isn't happy in his life and has a new bad habit that isn't fun for me, aside for being late (tacky) he makes a big deal about my play. That isn't a problem for me because I ignore him. I keep myself inside my game although it's doubles tennis. We lost our first round to a couple who surprised us. You know they say never underestimate your opponent. We did and guess what? They beat us. So we were in the consolation group or as my friend called it "the best of the rest". We did well we won it! So we got trophied up. The best gift though was what I learned while competing. We were down a set and it was love 4 against us. I was WANTING to win and so I was playing to win. I couldn't find the court nor could my cranky partner. It was ugly. So I stopped playing to win and decided to just play. Guess what? We won every single game from that moment forward and for the next day too. It was a magic "Aha" moment. I kept my cool with my head down played to play...that sounds so do-able and yet it's tough to do in this world of Play to WIN! Play to play and be excellent at that, be happy with that!

Listening to the Micheal Vick debate about whether he should be allowed back inside the NFL. I think yes and I hate that he is of the culture that pits should be bred and raised to fight each other. I know many people in our community do it still. It is a show of force and I guess machismo. Okay? Regardless of the animal cruelty. Since when isn't football cruel or brutal?

I smell hypocrisy still I hate the thought of any kind of animal cruelty. I love my puppies madly. He should be allowed to do what he does apparently well. I also think he should be forced to care for animals be forced to give 20% of his pay check to the humane society into perpetuity.

That is what I think would be fair; put him back into the NFL arena for his owners to watch him play for them. There is hardly a difference only they don't shoot the players after they are finished with them...hmmm maybe they should?

I kid.

Does it shock the world that we have differing levels of service? That we as a species like to see other beings suffer for our pleasure?

We need to hurt things apparently, we need to crush and dominate in order to feel better,bigger, the best.

I think Micheal Vick and Sarah Palin are the same, stupid and supremely violent.
What does this say about the rest of us...dogs?

7 comments:

glt said...

'...and ye shall have dominion over all the creepy crawlies'...or something like that! Have you heard of parakeet fighting rings???
Serious. They just busted one up, I forget where. Who but you would think to conjugate Vick and Palin?!
har har!

Unknown said...

It wasn't sourced by me Palin/Vick reference. I heard it yesterday on NPR...I like it, it fits.

Charles said...

I seen him apologize recently and it seemed like he was sincere. I heard the PETA peeps saying it was staged and so on, as predicted. But this wasn't, I don't think he has any desire to do that anymore. Pits are good natured animals if you just treat them right. In the human world being stronger is a blessing, while in the canine world, it's a curse.

Tony Carrington said...

A tennis pro tried to instill some bravery in my game by challenging me to never fear double-faulting. And the worst matches I ever played were those where I failed to heed this advice. Going for broke is a two edged sword however and to forgive doesn't have to be just for the divine. Ron White the comedian said that "you can't fix stupid", but I think you can certainly mitigate the effects. Mike Vick did some violently stupid things and he paid a price for them, and he says he's sorry. I believe him, just like I believe myself when I say I'm sorry, even if she started it, but I digress.. Sarah Palin is proud of her position and actually seeks to package and promote her brand of political violence. And I agree with Rae and think that Vick and Palin are the same.. and so are the rest of us. I think that the best and worst that are in everyone else are also inside of each one of us, but the difference is in our aspirations for self-correction. Who has never said these words to themselves, "Well no one's looking"? Who has never followed through, and who are they that are proud to cast the first stone? Regardless of who's looking or not, I'm looking and I face the enemy every morning in the mirror. The good book says to forgive "seven times seventy," and why? Because those who won't are the ultimate of hypocrites. I certainly believe that if you can forgive yourself, then you must forgive all who ask, no questions asked. And if you overlook your own faults, then you must overlook the faults of others. However, I'm still trying to forgive myself for double-faulting on match point down in a match that would have put my team into the playoffs.

glt said...

I think forgiveness is over-rated. We need some anger and guilt to keep us honest and truly kind.

Tony Carrington said...

And all God's children said.. Amen to that :-)

frenchwoman said...

He GLt, very beautiful analysis, very fine wordss you are right completely

Followers