Comparatively Speaking

We went to the beach for the day on Saturday and had a great time. I like running in the shallow water but I'm not going to swim in that crazy unpredictable beast they call the ocean. Tim goes in and swims right out. I get worried but he always comes back looking no worse for wear, he looks better actually. There were a couple of golden retrievers to run around with so that was a lot of fun. 

There is a programme on TV here called The Biggest Loser, there is a US version and maybe a UK version too. In the show overweight contestants have to lose weight and they can get voted off. Cameron, a middle aged bloke, lost 3.3 kilograms for the week, which is great in the real world but in the contest is nothing special. He was upset and said that it was terrible compared to Bob, also middle-aged, who lost more than 7. Later Bob told a story to everyone. When he was about 14, he got chosen for the hockey team. He played a good game but missed a goal at the end. On Monday, the teacher told him, infront of the class, that he was as bad in the classroom as he was on the hockey field. He never played a team sport again. He also said that he often passed on participating in things because he always saw people who were better than him. He added that if he compared himself to Cameron he would come up short in many areas of life. It was an inspirational story to show the folly of compring yourself to others. 

Life is great when you follow your heart and don't compare yourself to other humans or hounds.