Happiness Is Optional

Here is a quote from an article recently published in our local paper regarding cutting competitive team sports in the Middle Schools.

they (those on the school board who want the cuts) believe it is developmentally inappropriate for middle school students to be subjected to cuts if they lack the skills to make the team.  In contrast, intramural activities are all inclusive, allowing everyone to participate without loss of self-esteem.

Thank God we have at least some parents and students in our county with their heads screwed on correctly…To their credit; of many concerned parents and students were quoted as saying . . .

teams foster a sense of school spirit. They develop skills so that students can compete at the high school level and perhaps help them get into college and win scholarships. Teams foster a work ethic that can result in better grades, build character and make students stronger for having to deal with not making the team and inspire working harder to achieve their goals.

Without such opportunities some students would never reach their true potential and might get into trouble.

The school board members voting to cut the sports programs also hinted at fiscal responsibility and transferring the cost and liability of such programs to the private sector. However, they failed to state how much transferring to a private sector intramural program would cost or what the potential savings would be.

They also stated:

intramural programs better support the middle school philosophy that is inviting, safe, inclusive and supportive of all

 

I can not tell you how much this article pisses me off. There is something seriously wrong with society. I don’t know when or where or even exactly how this all started; but many years ago it manifested itself into trophies for everyone and a sense of entitlement in students.

Note to recent graduates:

You are not entitled to a job. You are not entitled to a high paying job. In fact, if you have learned anything at all just about the only thing you are entitled to is Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Notice, you are not entitled to be happy.

Just to pursue it.

Work hard, appreciate what you earn, learn and get out of life. Which includes your successes and failures.

Eleanor Roosevelt said Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product.

And since I seem to be stuck on quotes, here is one from Vince Lombardi which is appropriate to all those wise registered voters with their heads screwed on straight about sports keeping kids out of trouble…

A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.

Organized, competitive sports build character and develop skills in all students which are necessary becoming civilized, well rounded and strong members of society.

I see too many students now-a-days who do not know how to handle failure. They do not know how to handle stress; or how to work together to achieve a common goal, or to understand that often one has to sacrifice, or at least risk, something in order to win the battle.

Not everyone can, or will, win all the time, nor will everyone lose all the time either.

How one handles defeat, challenges, and obstacles is one of the keys towards learning how to succeed.

Vince Lombardi also said Leaders are made, not born and that hard work is the price to be paid in order to achieve the goal of being a leader.

It is my firm belief that competitive sports play an integral part in the development of successful, well rounded members of society.

Again, happiness, although often felt and appreciated from achieving or even striving for a goal, is often a by-product.

Recently, my family, like many others across the county, attended at least one graduation ceremony. Graduation is a symbolic achievement often marked by the passage in life from student, or athlete, to entry into the real world.

The question is, how many will be ready? How many will feel entitled? How many will have a goal, other than to be happy?

Remember, happiness is not a goal.

With all the commencement speeches that will be and have been said, not many will say it better than this one. Perhaps you have seen it.

My hope is that everyone will. Though not directly related to sports, it says what I have been trying to knock into peoples heads for a long time; far better and much more entertainingly than I ever could.

Enjoy

Mid-Week Milestones

This week marks a couple milestones for us.

• My oldest son is graduating college
• My oldest car reached the 300K mile club

I don’t know which is more remarkable.
Eric has successfully graduated, or soon officially will be, from George Mason University with a degree in Computer Engineering.

So if anybody out there could use a good young energetic IT guy who likes network security and database management, let me know! I think I just might know somebody who would love to help you out. 😉
Seriously feel free to contact me. . .
Eric had the same deal that all our kids have.  If you stay home after high school, you WILL go to a local college full time and earn a degree.  The alternative, other than going to college someplace else, in which case we would help up to a point financially, was not particularly attractive to either him or us.
Needless to say, he picked George Mason and lived at home.
This worked out well for everyone.  He got a degree with a lot less expense (no college room and board fees), very little debt and we got a live-in who would help with the kids and shopping from time to time.
A win-win situation if you ask me.
Now the deal is done and sorry Eric, we love you, but the real world awaits!  Go get it!
Regarding my car and the 300K mile club. . .

I have a 1997 Acura 2.2 CL which despite its Brand Name is an American Car.  In fact, the CL was the first Acura to be built in the United States.  All CL’s were built at the Honda Marysville, OH plant.  I bought it second hand back in 2002 from a local used car dealer and yes I approached my purchase with a certain amount of skepticism and I had a plan.

The car, remarkably, sat on the lot for well over a month, actually nearly two.  I think I first saw it and test drove it after about the 3rd week that they took possession.  Of course, the price the dealer had was, IMHO, a bit high and more than I wanted to spend and yes he used many of the standard “sales” tactics to try and convince me otherwise.

But, like I said, I had a plan.

I kept coming back every Monday to see if it was still there and negotiate a better price. I actually had spent quite a bit of time looking at different cars and ended up liking this particular CL the best.  Not because of the price, not because of the reliability, not because of the performance, but rather the reason I liked this car the best was that it was one of the few I could comfortable sit in and drive. I spend up to 2 – 3 hours every day driving so I better be comfortable while doing it.
I knew I wanted this car. I also knew I did not want to pay the dealers price.
The dealer knew I wanted this car. It was just a matter of time to see how all this would play out.
The longer the car sat on the lot, the better my negotiating hand became.
I ended up taking it on more than one test drive; in fact, I conveniently dropped it off at my favorite mechanic during one of those “test drives” and got a clean bill of health from him.
So, on my last weekly visit, which happened to be the last week of the second month for the dealer, I nonchalantly said, “I see it’s still here” 😉 .
It was at that time, after at least 3 -4 weeks of me coming back in, that a price I felt I could afford was negotiated and the prize was mine. I have enjoyed it and comfortably sat in it ever since!
And the best part, I knocked nearly 25% off the dealers original price.

Carpe diem

From the ‘You Must Be a Fighter in Life‘ article in the Washington Post by By Nelson Hernandez.
In Season of Endings, Boxing Champ Tells Parkdale Grads to Seize Beginnings.

Or as I’d like to point out, make the most of current opportunity.

I think it is great when local sports, celebrity and political people actively give back to the community and help promote good role models.

Certainly, I think, Sugar Ray can. Darrell Green is another. And as the article points out, there are a whole host of people who do the same.

I particularly like the part about how two high school students, simply by chance and seizing the moment, were able to invite Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to speak at their graduation.

So, who spoke at my high school graduation?

Vincent Price. I know, not a sports figure but a noteworthy one none the less.
And totally cool too!

I credit the school administrators and more importantly the Price family for seizing the moment. You see, we had a bit of an inside scoop. His grandson was part of our graduating senior class.