Be a Cooperator, Not A Competitor – Don Hanley’s blog #29

“You’re shorter than he is” . . .

“You can’t run as fast as she can” . . .

“He’s smarter than you.”

And on and on it went in my early years. And I am sad to report that it still happens in most children's lives. We are led to believe that we must be ‘better’ than many ‘someone’ if we are ever going to ‘amount to anything.’ And that is so damn sad.

I have always liked seeing players in any sport rush over to their opponent after a contest, smile, and say, “Good game.” Whether the winner or the loser, they enjoyed the contest.

So, in my ideal world, we are all friendly competitors because we know we must also be cooperators if we are to have a ‘user-friendly’ and peaceful world.

And yet, we continue to honor sportsmen and women who only admire and encourage the ‘winners,’ I dislike the NFL championship trophy called the “Lombardi Trophy,” whose slogan is, “Winning is not the best thing; it is the ONLY thing.” I have few absolutes in my useful vocabulary, but I do believe that Vince Lombardi was full of shit.

Of course, I would also like to change tackle football and make it tag ‘fastball’ that minimizes injuries and violence. How can we have real friendly competition with another team that has just spent over an hour trying to send me and my teammates to the hospital?  Or to the cemetery?

What I would liked to have heard as a small boy were things like this:

“Good game, boy” . . .

“I’m proud of you, son” . . .

“I think you did your best” . . . 

You can do one thing no one else can: BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF. I have never heard anything like this, and I know that too many children still do not hear these words today, in this century.

Violence does not lead to peace, love, or cooperation. So, please enjoy some friendly competition to see who the kindest person in your world can be and continue to . . .

Nurture your heart and take a look at this menu, BUT do not eat it.