Journal 4 “ So What’s So Bad about Being So - So?”

Marquise Nurse-Williams                  It’s All in Good Fun

                         In Lisa Wilson Strick’s article “ So What’s So Bad about Being So - So?” Stricks analyzes the spirit of competition and how it has effected the way kids spend their recreational time. She explains saying that “Unfortunately, doing things badly has gone out of style. It used to be a mark of class if a lady or a gentlemen sang a little, painted a little, played the violin a little….But in today’s competitive world we have to be “experts” - even in our hobbies.” In other words, people can’t have fun with hobbies anymore, they have to be the best or nothing at all. She shows an example of how an amateur jogger can’t go anywhere without being shown up by the “expert” marathon runners in their new high top sneakers, and full tack suits. Stricks then goes on to show how dancing has changed from a fun activity to a set of complex practices and exercises. Next Stricks gives an example of a young gymnast who is nervous about getting into the best gymnastics school. She finds she does nothing for fun and has absolutely no aspect of free time to engage in a fun hobby. Toward the end of the article, Stricks gives her solution that everyone should stop to smell the roses and take a break from that serious activity and enjoy something new or different for a moment. I agree with that notion, taking a breather to do something for kicks and giggles takes the stress away. I think Competition is inevitable when going for something important, like a job position. But when the spirit of competition is among friends in a friendly game of soccer it should stay friendly. My friend Jermall and I have always competed against each other in every video game we’ve ever played one on one, and as ridiculous as it sounds, sometimes it would end up in a negative attitude.
               One game Jermall and I compete at is Tekken 6. It’s a martial arts game with about 40 characters to choose from with different martial art forms, and is a highly competitive fighter. We start out having a friendly game with a little smack talk like “Man, you weak fool!” or “ how bout this Dragon Punch to your face son!” also “Punk, you aren’t even worthy to take on my best character, you got to work your way up again!” As the competition progresses, he starts to get mad if I win, because I use to really suck at that game and never stood a chance against him before. I guess that stole his thunder. If he loses one too many times he becomes indifferent towards me for a while because of all the garbage talk the loser of the competition has to eat, then he’ll go back to normal after he licks his wounds from getting whooped on so bad.
             In the end we always remember we’re boys, and we can’t let the competition to one up on each other get the best of us. We never forget our motto “Never forget the fourth grade homies.” Competition can cause a lot of negative vibes when it’s suppose to be for fun. I think people need to try to keep that in check when it starts to become serious in what is suppose to be a friendly test of skill. Especially Jermall, unless he wants another taste of this Dragon Punch son!