I was intent on winning that cold day on the playground. I stared that mean girl in the face as we both pulled really hard on the piece of rope the teacher had given us. I was leaning into it hard, and so was she. I was pulling with everything I had and leaning back as hard as I could. The rope slipped once or twice in my hands, but I held on tight. I stepped back a foot here and a foot there, inching toward the edge of the blacktop. The girl was clearly beat. I was going to pull her across the line and win this game of tug of way. I was really going to win this time and I had her beat, but why was she smiling? Why did she have this knowing look on her face. She gave one big tug and seemed like she was going to do another. I leaned back with everything I had and started pulling, my foot slipping a bit on the mud at the edge of the blacktop. I pulled her across the line, victorious. I looked up to see that smug smile wiped off her face when she gave me this look of finality and just let go. There I went falling backward, into the mud, straight on my back. I had won, but I had also lost.
So there was a life lesson for me. When you are getting a ton of resistance from an enemy and it seems just impossible to win, perhaps the best thing to do is to just let go. Most likely they put more effort into the resistance then the prize was worth, or perhaps they overextended themselves and they will go splashing backwards into the mud. Wisdom from a 4th grade girl in gym class.
Guy Reams
