Why We Cheer
“Here We Go…”
Dateline: The Classic
We cheer, I believe, for those amongst us,
who have the courage,
to try.
Today, maybe by the time you read this, there will be a lot less anglers fishing the Bassmaster Classic, than when the gig started.
The stage will be lonelier tomorrow.
And for those whose spotlight has grown dim.
For those not on stage on Sunday.
For those , this column is for you.
For those making the long quiet walk to your boats,
please do this,
stop, and look up to the 14th floor of the Doubletree Hotel,
look to the room where the drapes are open,
look to the room where the lights are on,
because there stands a man who is cheering for you,
and that would be me.
“…strength, courage and wisdom…”
How many of us have the balls to TRY any more.
We hide, behind, being safe, when in fact, we are safer the more we try new things.
How many of us have the strength, to win or lose…instead…just take the tie. Take the kneel down.
If we are to have salvation, as people, as a nation. We need to cheer just as loud for the TRY as we do for the win.
We, you and me, are in fact a TRY ourselves.
We are all a TRY in this thing we call independence, this thing called democracy.
And standing in the 14th floor window, I cheer for that too.
“…it's been inside of me all along…”
We cheer for honesty, and when there is none, we are silent.
We cheer for determination, and when there is none, we are silent.
We cheer for faith, and when there is none, we will be silenced.
Inside stuff up next.
I was going to interview 2012 Bassmaster Classic winner, Chris Lane yesterday about what it felt like to see his name on a banner that will hang in the rafters of every Bassmaster Classic from now, to the end.
And then Chris came in without any fish.
A lot I supposed will be made of that.
As will be about my good friend, Skeet Reese, coming in with just a couple of fish.
They may or may not make the cut, and that matters a great deal to these men, as it should, but to me, it doesn’t matter all that much.
Of course I want to win…I don’t do anything to…place…or show, but as I grow older I have begun to realize that the most important thing we do, is to try.
It is the TRY, where-in the courage lies.
Know this, and trust me on this one, all those fishing in the Bassmaster Classic took to the water today to work their butt off.
The dude in first place, looking like a duck, calm on the surface, paddling like a maniac underneath. But so is the dude in last place.
When Chris Lane came off the stage, if I approached him I knew he would have taken the time to talk to me, he is a champion with the iron on the mantle, but is also a champion within his heart.
But I gave the man, his space, I’ll ask him the question someday, but last night, sometime, alone, to himself, in his most vulnerable moment, I know that he looked inside himself with questions,
but for me, and maybe only me, it was when he took to the water today,
that he became a real champion,
no quit, and trust me that no matter how the fish fall today,
the dude gave it everything he’s got,
and for that, there will be cheering in the 14th floor window.
“…strength, courage and wisdom…”
I want nothing bad to ever happen to you.
But if something happens to you that makes you miserable, that I can live with.
Behind every great champion,
is misery.
The iron on the mantle is forged by the misery within you.
And it is the defeat of misery, why we cheer.
And it is the fact, that no matter how miserable things get, the gift we humans seem to have,
Is the gift of the TRY.
We get up, even when we can’t.
We try, even when we shouldn’t.
And it is the TRY, that we should also cheer the loudest for,
it is why we cheer,
no matter what window we are in.
“…inside of me.”
Strength, Courage and Wisdom
India.Arie
Love Wins,
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