Three Interesting Things

1. A study has shown that sexually aggressive men in bars are sexually aggressive because they are hoping drunk people are better targets, not as a result of being drunk themselves.

2. You may have heard this winter has involved snow.  Possibly.  Well, New Jersey ran out of salt.  And then discovered an old trade law meant a ship full of rock salt couldn't just move itself on down to New Jersey. 

3. The cold led to one woman, who wears a hijab, discovering under enough layers people treated her differently. 

Tiny Photos

I had a weird week with travel and a wedding and some snow and some extra travel due to snow, so basically, I am going to point you to this story about a legographer who is photographing Britain and go lay down for a nap. 

A Strained Sports Metaphor

In summer track events often have heats to whittle things down, but most speed based events, you are going directly against your competitors. In winter, several speed events from luge to skiing to speed skating have you going individually, or in pairs, and then waiting as others attempt the same thing. Now yes, I realize this is also similar to gymnastics and figure skating.  Originally I was trying to separate out judges versus speed events, but as I think about this some more, judged events may also apply.  

So, in an event where you and your competitors are on the same course (or track, or whatever) all at the same time, we all know it's still not fair.  Certain positions are more advantageous, you may get jostled or tripped.  Your ski might break.  Things happen.  But, as much as is possible, you and your fellow competitors are working with the same environment, trying to achieve the same goal at the same time.  Okay, actually, you are probably trying to beat them to that goal.  And if someone has a crazy burst of speed you can see this happen and try to match it.  You can see your fellow competitors and the clock or finish line and know, right then, what it will take for you to succeed*. 

But in events like luge or speed skating, there might be one other competitor going at the same time as you, or no one.  So, you do the very best you can do in that moment and then you sit there and wait. You might set a world record only to watch the next three competitors break that.  In other words, you could not only do your best, but do better than anyone ever had in that event and still lose if the people behind you do even better. 

I always think athletes must have to develop amazing cognitive separation.  Going into a game or event you have to approach it as if you will not only succeed but likely win. You have to be prepared for that moment when all of your competitors literally fall in front of you, or some other less dramatic variation.  But after the event, you have to be able to realize that you did what you could, there may be things you can work on, competing was it's own reward and you'll try again some other time.  And both attitudes are correct. 

Now all of this talk of metaphor is to say that I think this applies to non-athletes as well.  There are non-athletic situations where you are doing things that other people are doing and getting different results or rewards.  Sometimes there are additional factors, and sometimes, well sometimes it just goes differently for the person on the track behind you or ahead of you.  And you have to be ready for opportunities that come to you and accept that sometimes other people are just going to have different success rates. 

*Yes, for the purposes of this metaphor we are going to pretend that finishing first is the only definition of success. 

Three Interesting Things

1. Back when video (or DVD) rental places were easier to find, I quickly realized my dislike of things like errands and deadlines was going to mean that I was going to pay a lot of late fees.  Shopping movie sales turned out to be the more frugal option.  (Streaming actually works great for me because someone else has to remember to make it go back.)  I had not considered, that if I waited long enough, my late fees might result in my being arrested, but one woman (who sadly, was at the police station to report a crime, and found herself, well, in jail) discovered that even though the video place she rented from in 2005 is no longer in business, you can still be held for this. 

2. I was happy to discover that among the local DC area folks competing in the Olympics is a barista who played hockey for Switzerland.  (I say played, because, well, they have now been eliminated, although she did score a goal for them.) 

3. I honestly don't recall if my middle school government had any responsibilities beyond planning school dances (sorry to them if they did) but some local students at Deal have made it a point to work on getting a bus shelter for the stop near their school. 

7 Things the Olympics Remind Us

1. National pride is an amazing thing.

2. This is true whether the country you are competing for is the one you were born in, or your parents, or your grandparents.  Or, ahem ice dancing, one newish to you.

3. Everyone here is trying to do their best and that's something to be applauded even if their best is more or less good than the next person's. 

4. If you fall down, get up and keep going.  Sometimes your worst day might be televised. 

5. Winning is excellent.

6. Competing is excellent. 

7. Sometimes openings occur because other people fail.  You take those, but you also applaud the efforts of your competitors.