Winners and… the Other Guys
[Note: This is my entry for this month's What I Learned From... groupwrite project. The challenge this month is to share something I've learned about the topic of "Government". If you'd like to participate, you're more than welcome to join us. See the bottom of this post for details.]
The other night, Mrs. MZM and I spent a pleasant hour or two playing one of our favorite games, Rummikub (pronounced rummycube). It’s a lot of fun, I’ll tell ya, and if we’re not careful we can literally spend hours at it.
The thing is, I can usually win at least half the time. (That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!) And when I win, it’s kinda fun to, you know, celebrate a little.
Oh, it’s not like I jump up and dance around the room doin’ the Snoopy dance, or anything. But still, it’s fun to enjoy the moment.
Luckily, Mrs. MZM is a patient sort; stoically enduring these enthusiastic displays with little protest.
As I said, although the two of us are generally pretty evenly matched, this particular evening was different. I don’t know; maybe there was something in the air. Whatever it was, the bottom line is that I somehow managed to lose five games in a row (sound of anguished sobbing). It’s never happened before.
And as long as we were evenly matched, I had no problem enjoying the the game. But this time – and after losing the fourth game in a row – I have to admit to a definite, er, lack of enthusiasm.
Ain’t that always the case in life? I mean, when we’re winnin’ – or at least evenly matched – keepin’ the enthusiasm level up is usually pretty easy. But when we’re losin’ – well, not so much.
It’s sorta funny, though. I never thought of myself as a bad loser. I can generally handle that pretty easily. Sometimes it’s tough to take, but after all, there’s always next time, right?
But I suddenly realized I had been showing all the signs of being a, well, a bad winner.
The Day After
OK; I’m guessing that by now the people’s choice for the next President of the United States will be clear. (Oh, please, please let it be over now!) The votes have been counted, and we all know who the Next Man is going to be.
Furthermore, it’s probably safe to say that you fall into one of two groups. You’re either on the side of the winner – or the side of the, er, one who didn’t win. And thanks to this national event, we all get to learn a very important truth about ourselves. So here’s the question:
If your candidate won the election, and you’re in the former group and not the latter, what kind of winner are you?
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[Hey, y'all! If you'd like to participate in this groupwrite project, then by all means, join us! We're open for entries through this Sunday night, November 9. All you have to do is follow this link for details: What I Learned From Government.]
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7 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Not being a voter in your election I can’t really say. I will say I thought that both the winner and the loser showed themselves to be big men last night, with generous, thoughtful speeches. I hope their respective tribes were listening and taking note.
Joanna
Joanna Youngs last blog post..Learning from the Writing on the Wall
I agree with Joanna, both McCain and Obama made me proud to be an American. I’m not sure either man is (would be) able to handle to what the country and the world is facing, so I thought Obama had the right attitude…he was serious and thoughtful rather than triumphant. And he was already planning what to do if he got elected. Some people called that arrogance, but I think it showed good judgment. The real work is about to begin.
Jean Browman–Cheerful Monks last blog post..What I Learned From Plato’s Republic
@Joanna – So do I! Hopefully we end up better off than we start. But the proof will be in the next four years, of course.
@Jean – You’re absolutely right when you say the real work is ahead! And hopefully we’ll all be better off in the long run.
Although it is difficult to be a good sport, I try very hard to always be a good winner and a good loser. Having said that, I avoid competitions and try to participate in co-operative activities instead because I do not like being around bad sports, and the world is full of them!
I hear ya, Julie. Sometimes the bad sports take all the fun out of what would just be a friendly competition, don’t they? And I would NEVER do that! (rolls eyes) ;-D
Although McCain was this general election’s loser, but I think he has given his best and he’s nothing to be shamed here…
By the way, I’m glad that Obama won the election, Robert