Sheer Effort

Anne Lamott, in her book Bird by Bird, talks about beginning to write but not knowing exactly where the piece will go.  Anne tells us about a Special Olympics event that she attended.  She goes on to mention how the action in two separate games led her to an idea for an article.  Her essay would never have materialized if she had not attended both contests and allowed the activities in those events to permeate her awareness.  The process of way leading onto way however, is not what I wanted to discuss today.  Today I am more interested in the sheer effort put forth by one of the contest participants.

Special Olympics are for mentally and physically challenged folks.  Anne witnesses and describes a twenty-five yard race.  Some participants veer off course into the stands, others move ahead at a snail's pace.  As confusion rains down upon the field, the race takes on the look of a pack of turtles racing a pack of house cats.  Everyone finally crosses the finish line with the exception of one sixteen year old girl.  She had completed five of the twenty-five yards.  Anne verbally illustrates the picture of a young girl with a normal looking face above a wracked and emaciated body...supported by metal crutches.  The girl is moving forward by the inch.  She eventually crosses the finish line and her face lights up, absolutely stoked as Anne says, with her achievement.

Stop for a moment, disengage your mind and body from the Bullet Train Express to Nowhere.  Picture this young lady, her muscles and bones contorted in unnatural ways, pain exploding throughout her body, moving forward by the inch.  She doesn't quit.  She doesn't give up.  If this vision of sheer effort doesn't overwhelm the guards and take over your mind's cellblock , you have yet to deboard the train.

I am not sure that there is a rational human being alive whose emotions wouldn't swell as they watched this young girl struggle to complete the race.  While beauty is found in paintings, in nature, in writing, in sculptor and in just about anything within our universe, what could be more moving and beautiful than watching another human being put forth the all out soul-draining sheer effort to accomplish something?

 

 

 

Comments

[Steve Sherlock]

yes, the glories of seeing a performance live are many indeed. if we do get drawn into the experience, it is hard not to go with the flow of emotions that the event brings. if we do not get drawn into the experience, maybe some one should draw blood to see what we are made of.

[Dave]

Kind of hard to imagine people not getting drawn into the experience...I know what you mean Steve!