Beth's Ponderings
One of my absolute
favourite times of the year is the ten days in July when the Calgary Stampede
is on.
While I have never
been there in person, I thoroughly enjoy watching the thrilling rodeo events
and chuckwagon races on TV - where you can see the action a lot closer, and don’t
have to battle crowds to do so.
The cowboys and
cowgirls who compete in Calgary
every year are the best of the best - whether they are veterans of the rodeo
circuit, or relatively unknown newcomers.
And so are all the animals.
Because they are so
good, it is such a treat to watch them compete.
They make their event seem so easy and natural. You can tell they love what they do.
Yet, just because
they are so good, doesn’t mean that they can all win, or even that it is smooth
sailing for them.
Things can, and do,
go wrong. Riders get bucked off,
barriers are tripped, calves and steers get away, barrels go down, someone ends
up being faster, and competitors get hurt.
Just like in every
day life.
No matter how
proficient we are at our favourite tasks, sometimes things just don’t work out
for us.
No matter how much
we love what we do, sometimes we just have a bad day or two, or month.
No matter how good
we are, sometimes someone comes along who is better or faster.
No matter how
careful we are, sometimes we just end up getting hurt.
But, in life, as in
the rodeo world, we can’t let that stop us.
We need to dust ourselves off, regroup, and get right back in the ring
to give it our best shot the next day.
Cowboys and
cowgirls are not defined by just one ride or race, and we are not defined by
just one activity or situation. They are
the best because they keep competing and don’t give up. We become the best in our lives when we keep
showing up and don’t give up too.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua22/home/July%2021%2C%202017%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1
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