A Racing Meaning Poem

Being in the Presence of the Best

There can be something

That is the best

About every race—

Even if it is not

The time.

Of course,

Usually when runners

Speak of, “the best,”

They mean time.

But if a runner

Runs enough races,

It is impossible

To always

Run faster.

And even with a race

That is planned for months

With meticulously scheduled

Workouts,

Sometimes things don’t work. 

For some races,

I can see it weeks in advance.

Weather was bad.

Workouts were missed.

Injuries.
Life gets in the way.

For other races,

It is clear that morning.

Bad night’s rest.

Something eaten didn’t sit right.

Too hot.

And sometimes it is during the race

That it becomes clear

That it will not be the fastest.

But it doesn’t mean

That there can’t be something

That is the best.

And if I pick out

What I think

Might be best

In advance,

And think about

Being in the presence of the best,

Then the race can still be one

To remember.

Scenery.

Most constant pace—

Even if not the fastest.

Meeting other runners.

Helping someone

Who would otherwise

Be behind me,

By encouraging them

As they run

Alongside me—

Or ahead of me.

Or maybe smiling more.

Or maybe just

Taking the time

To take in the sights

And sounds

And smells

Of the race.

Doing this will ensure

That the race will be

More than just

A few random bytes

With a name, date, and time

In my electronic device.

It will be a story

I can someday share
With my children’s children.

40 Days to Better: Day 35

After ten days of running, I took this morning off.  My dog was happy as she got to go for a half-hour walk at 6 AM.  The skies look gray today.  Can't be sunny all the time, I suppose.  And while my stomach is now feeling better, the skies look how my attitude was yesterday as I slogged through ten miles at a relatively high temperature for October and my stomach was in knots for reasons that remain a mystery to me.  

Most of my reading recently has been for stuff directly related to work.  Yesterday, I had a chance to finish a book my 17 year old had picked up for me for Father's Day.  It was a book about Steve Prefontaine.  He was an amazing American runner in the early 1970's who died a tragic death in 1975.  The last chapter of the book began with a quote from him, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."

That is a profound statement.  He made it, I presume, mostly about running.  However, it applies to so much.  I have been given many gifts.  Sometimes I feel like I have lived up to the call to give my best.  Sometimes, I know I have fallen short.  

As I look ahead, I want to focus on what the book that I have referred to many times in the forty days suggests (the book being The Answer to How is Yes).  It suggests focusing on what matters most.

If I focus on what matters most and giving my all--what more could I ask for.

What I struggle with is that a lot of things matter.  So sometimes choosing what matters most is a real challenge.

In addition, the people in my life around me don't always agree with me on what matters most.

So there will need to be tradeoffs.

There will need to be compromises.

But experience suggests that following the road to better to a place in which I am clear about what I think matters most and giving my all to what matters most will be fulfilling for me.

Then, I have to try to create an environment where each person around me can give what they feel is their all to what matters most and the world should be a happier place for all.

Of course, a final reflection for this morning is that I also have to realize that in the same way that I ask others to allow me to choose my focus and define giving my best, I have to allow that in others as well.

Respect for Excellence

I'm not a huge professional football fan, but I wanted to write about this weekend's Raven's game.  Ray Lewis has announced that he will retire after this season.  This weekend is a game at Raven's stadium.  Given the way professional football playoffs work, this is likely to be the last game he plays at M & T Bank Stadium in Baltimore even if the Ravens win.  Then, at most he will have three more games after that even if the Raven's make it to the Super Bowl.  Would it be great if they won?  Of course!  Is that what it is all about at this point?  Not in my opinion.

This weekend and any other send off that Ray Lewis gets is about one thing in my mind: honoring someone who is described as one of the best (if not the best) at his position.  Honoring someone who is described as having redefined his position.  Honoring someone who was able not only to be the best but also to bring out the best in others.

Whether it is being a linebacker (Ray Lewis), being a college professor (me), or being any other job, striving to be the best, to try to define what being the best means, and to bring out the best in others are three very worthy goals.  I can't claim to be the best professor.  Productive?  Yes.  Good at teaching?  Yes.  Interested in teaching?  Yes.  Good at collaborating?  Yes.  Good at working with people?  Yes. Has fun working with people?  Yes  But lots of professors are all of that.

While none of that makes me unique, I do think that I have helped to redefine what success in my environment means.  I was the first of a new generation of health economists to get promoted to full professor.  The approach I took in my research was somewhat different.  And the focus I have placed on education has been somewhat different.  Have I "redefined the position"?  I would not say so.  But I know that expectations of health economists and how health economists are viewed as collaborators and contributors is different now than 17 years ago when I interviewed for the position.  I'm not fully responsible for that, but I have contributed.  It will be interesting looking ahead to whatever my career brings next to see just how much different things are in the future.  I could not predict 10 years ago where I would be now.  I'm not even going to try now to predict where I will be in 2023.  I can only say, with some certainty, that it is likely to be one wild ride with new definitions of success and what is meaningful over that period.

Bringing out the best in others?  I like to think that I have helped others to become all they can be.  I  am not sure I would say that I have necessarily brought out the best in others.  But it is certainly a worthy goal.

Hats off to Ray Lewis as his career as an NFL player comes to a close.  And hats off to anyone who strives for being the best he or she can be, helping to define what best is, and helping others to achieve the same.