The Difference Between a Hero and a Goat

I hope you were able to watch the NFC Championship game last night between the Packers and the Giants. Or at least the end of the game. For those of you who are were in a cave over the weekend, the Giants beat the Packers 23 to 20 in overtime. Only the final score does not tell the drama of the game. Giants kicker, Lawrence Tynes, missed two field goals in regulation, including one as the regulation time ended. If you were watching the game, you saw Giants coach Tom Coughlin looking disgusted at the young kicker. Two times he had the opportunity to win the game and two times he missed.

Did it matter that the temperature at the end of the game was -4 or that the wind chill was around -25? No. Lawrence Tynes job was to go out on the field when the coach called and kick the ball through the uprights. And he failed twice.

His coach was obviously displeased with him. His teammates probably were not very pleased with him either. Now matter how much confidence he has in himself, Lawrence Tynes probably had doubts about himself after the second kick. It would have been easy for him to give up. It would have been easy for him to have totally lost his focus and concentration. He could have blamed the elements. He could have blamed a bad snap on the second kick. He could have hung his head and felt sorry for himself. but he didn't.

Then came the chance for redemption. 3 minutes and 25 seconds into overtime, Coach Coughlin and the Giants called on their kicker again. This time, Lawrence Tynes' kick was true and the New York Giants are going to the Super Bowl. In the brief moment from the time he kicked the ball until it went through the uprights and the referees signalled the kick good, Lawrence Tynes went from Goat to Hero.

There is such a lesson to learn for all of us here. We all face failure, sometmes in our area of expertise, in our primary career. All to often, we just give up or hang our heads. We let the mistakes get to us. We allow ourselves to let an individual failure to define us instead of coming back the next time and the next time. We need to be like this kicker. We need to refocus and try again. There might be something equivalent to a bad snap to stop us when we try again, but we need to keep going. Tee it up again. We need to keep trotting out on to the field so to speak. If Lawrence Tynes had given up on himself, he might not be heading to the Super Bowl in two weeks. But he is, and from that, there is a lesson from which we can all learn.

(c) 2008 Eddy Seegers

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Upper Respiratory Infections, Flu Shots and the Flu, the New Year, and other Random Ramblings

Medical people have told me over and over that a flu shot will not give me the flu. However, I have gotten 2 flu shots in my adult life and both times I have gotten the flu and an upper respiratory infection. Last time I lost my voice for 5months and I am finishing up my first week this go around with only moderate improvement in my speaking capabilities.

Looking back at Christmas 2007… I don’t know if it was just me or if everyone seemed to be in a better mood and acting nicer this past Christmas season. I didn’t see my usual number of parking lot conflicts. There was only one time I heard somebody doing some seriously rude complaining while waiting in line to check out. Fellow shoppers seemed to be friendlier. And stores clerks were much more helpful than normal, with fewer complaints from them about their job, other customers, the hours they were working, etc., etc., etc.

The number one complaint I have heard from others regarding my hoarse voice is that it is “painful” for them to listen to it. Geesh, most people say it is painful to listen to me talk because of what I am saying, not how it sounds.

Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? Have you broken any of them yet? I have never been big on the ol’ resolution thing. If there is something that I want to change or correct, I try to do it immediately and not wait until same date on the calendar. I do try to make plans and goals for the coming year but that is more of a focus thing as those plans and goals will be refined and tweaked as needed many times during the calendar year. I use the new year as a starting point because that is the time the IRS uses as a new starting point.

At least the left-wing liberal nut cases are consistent. The loony bin leftovers that congregate at Democratic Underground are screaming election rigging and voter fraud because their man, Barack Obama or maybe Dennis Kucinich, lost the New Hampshire Democrat primary to Hillary Clinton. Now if there is anyone that I believe could steal an election, it would be the Senator Clinton and her machine. (Sorry Bush haters.) It is an old and whiny habit but the Undergrounders seem to hold to it. They don’t lose elections because their beliefs are extreme, loony, and far outside the norm, they lose elections because someone stole it. I agree with my favorite Libertarian, Neal Boortz. I love that Hillary is “back in the race.” She scares the heebee jeebees out of me, but with her in the race, it is much more fun to follow.

I never followed up on my weight loss but I am proud to say I lost 6 pounds before the flu knocked me out, and I have lost a few more thanks to not really wanting to put anything solid on my stomach for 10 days.

Right now, as much as anything else, I just want to get rid of this annoying cough so I can get back to exercising. Any deep breaths lead to a coughing attack. I know that is more info that you wanted or needed but I felt like venting after an extended hacking fit.

I am a little late but I hope not too much so. I want to be the first to wish each and everyone of you, Merry Christmas in 2008!!

© 2008 Edgar Seegers, Jr.

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