Look what I found at home:
This is a shirt I got at a cross country meet in high school. “I’m stronger, tougher, meaner than you.” That’s kind of the mentality I had during each race. Well, maybe not the meaner part, but definitely stronger and tougher.
Heart and guts. Bring it.
Last week, I read the novel Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz, and now I have a new-found appreciation for college admissions officers.
Although the book is fiction, the author was actually a part-time reader for Princeton’s Office of Admission during the 2006 and 2007 admissions seasons, so she has experience of the process.
While reading the book, I got to thinking about college admissions. I remember when I was a high school senior and was rather disappointed to not get admitted into my dream school. I had quite a padded resume and was left wondering why wasn’t I good enough?
But the true reality is that these schools, especially highly prestigious and selective ones like Princeton, have to make the toughest decisions. The admissions officers have to turn away nine brilliant, well-rounded kids for every one they admit. The students that get in are the ones that they believe have the greatest chance to change the world. It’s not to say that the other nine won’t.
Pretty much all the applicants have high SAT scores, glowing recommendation letters from teachers, and loads of volunteer, extracurricular, and sports activities and leadership. The admissions office has the unenviable task of sorting through all of these hopeful applicants to form the university’s upcoming class. Attempting to find the most fair way to go about this is a very difficult job and I do believe that the admissions officers try their very best.
Though he may be known as a prima donna on the football field, Cincinnati Bengals Chad Ochocinco, formerly Chad Johnson, showed his big heart and humility at the third annual gala fundraiser for the Children Mending Hearts organization in Hollywood, California.
Ruben St. Hilaire Jr. is nine years old and lives with his mother in a homeless shelter in New York City. He recently sent a letter to Ochocinco and received an autographed jersey. After he got the jersey from his idol, Ruben sent back a touching thank you letter.
“Mr. Johnson, you really make me happy. One of my goals in my future life is to be just like you when I grow up. I wonder who was your role model when you were little? I have three role model(s) in my life that’s my mom, Mr. President Barack Obama and my favorite football player Mr. Chad Johnson. To me you are the best football player in the NFL. May God bless you and your family happy holidays.”
At the gala, Ruben was granted his dream by football great Deion Sanders: to go to a football camp. As a surprise, Ochocinco flew in and presented the certificate for camp attendance to Ruben. After Ruben read his thank you letter, his hero was introduced to Ruben’s wide-eyed surprise.
And because it was actually Ruben’s birthday as well, Ochocinco led the crowd in a verse of “Happy Birthday” for his biggest fan. Ruben said it was his best birthday yet, and I’m sure it was one of Ochocinco’s best as well.
It’s always great to see a star realize he’s a role model and then act on it in a positive way.
I was hiking with friends at Yosemite yesterday and it struck me how powerful and peaceful nature can be at the same time.
We hiked up the Half Dome trail to a couple of waterfalls (Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls) for the day, and I realized that I love the sight of rushing water. There’s nothing really comparable to watching water. It has a seamless and steady flow to it, yet has the strength (in volume) to crash down on rocks or sweep you away.
The trail was quite long and steep, but there was some beautiful scenery along the way. At one instance, at the top of Vernal Falls, the mist from crashing water created an awesome rainbow that stretched across the valley below.
Photo by Elaine Wu
I haven’t been out in the wilderness in quite a while (last time I went to Yosemite was in middle school), so it was nice to finally get back to nature. Can’t beat the tranquility of the great outdoors.
Photo by Brandon Fuller
I saw the above picture today and it got me thinking about the world we live in.
I think it’s a world that loves a winner and sweeps away the losers, or everyone else.
Of course, I’ve been both a winner and a loser, and in both cases, I starkly remember the difference in feeling. There’s an unmistakable feeling that comes with winning. Joy, exhilaration, satisfaction, all of the above. It’s an amazing rush to know that you rose above all others and made it to the top. Not second or third, but first.
On the other hand, losing brings other feelings. It’s nothing like winning at all. You go over your mistake(s) over and over again, figuring out what you did wrong, what cost you the chance to win. All the attention goes to the winner, unrightfully so. No matter that you may have put in just as much, if not more time and effort in preparation. Sometimes, jealously sets in. But mostly, the focus is on disappointment within. “Better luck next time, kid.”
Our society seems to celebrate winners, and give losers not much of a second glance. Winners are put on a pedestal, while losers are left way down below. Part of this may be from the way media frames its stories (especially in sports) or perhaps from an innate psychology of the human mind. Whatever it is, the sometimes minuscule difference that changes an outcome from win to lose is magnified.
But this doesn’t mean that I agree with the emerging emphasis of “everyone’s a winner.” There are winners and losers to most everything, and that’s a fact that can’t be changed. You can say that “everyone’s a winner,” but everyone knows that is not the case. The statement simply masks the truth.
Instead, there needs to be a change in the way winners and losers are perceived and treated. Winners shouldn’t be deemed the greatest successes, and losers shouldn’t be deemed failures. There must be a better medium that is more fair and deserving, for all parties involved.