Enjoyment and achievement, how do they relate...

[cjsmith]

Thanks to cassidyrose for pointing out this neat Molly Ivins column. The last coupla paragraphs really got me going.

Yeah:

Here's to those of us who like to play dress-up, but don't happen to have the particular kind of genetic twist that'll make it to the fashion show runway. Here's to those of us who lift weights without the myostatin deletion gene. Here's to those of us who enjoy trying, even when we're not the best, even when we're surrounded by overly competitive spirits and fragile blustering egos and people with walls and shelves full of awards we ourselves will never win. Here's to those of us who have to work twice as hard as the next guy, but who have a good time doing it. Here's to those of us who can enjoy life even though we'll never get kudos or recognition or sometimes even thanks for what we do.

And you know what?

Here's to those of us who are still learning how to enjoy life under those circumstances. Here's to those of us who do hurt when we hear someone mutter "loser", who are sad that we're always the bridesmaid. Here's to those of us who congratulate the winner and smile for the family photo anyway, because our pain should be invisible. (After all, we only got what we deserved, right? Ask anybody with awards on his shelf and that's what he'll be happy to tell you.) Here's to everyone who has ever felt pain when a dream finally died.

Comments

Re: Here's to you CJ

[thorswitch.livejournal.com]

Well, as far as I'm concerned, you don't waste oxygen (or bandwidth, for that matter). You're very good at knowing how to be a good friend, and you almost always know what to say and how to say it - without just telling someone what they want to hear. I know I look forward to your comments on my journal and your messages on W30s because you are very real and can be humourous, wise, blunt, thoughtful, or pretty much whatever else is called for as needed. I know I'd miss you a lot if you weren't there!

Yeah, it can be hard when you feel like you're not the "best" at anything in particular - the generalist in the world of specialists, as you said - but there's a value in that as well. By not having all your skills in anyone one area, you can fit in wherever your needed and have a wider variety of things you can choose from to do. Every team needs a utility infielder, you know - and being the one who can see the forest because you aren't just looking at one specific tree gives you a perspective others will miss. That's kind of special in and of itself :)

Re: Here's to you CJ

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

*blush* thanks. :-) I'm glad I come across as sympathetic but not just mouthing pap.

Anyhow, yeah, I really do value the friends of mine whose talents are more general. The guy who writes well AND is compassionate AND solved the Marcel Gillen "Fireplug" puzzle as fast as I did... the gal who tells a good joke AND loves her kids AND works hard in her high-tech job... the guy who programs for a living AND attends Zen Buddhist retreats AND showed me what "oak" tastes like in a wine... that sort of person. I also value the "best at something" friends, as long as they're not too full of themselves. :-) But I do appreciate generalists. At least my internal value system is somewhat consistent!