"~ENZA~"

The Athlete

The athlete sat on his bench in the locker room staring at nothing.

A lifetime of training behind him, years of single minded focus and determination for this day. sacrifices, iron discipline, relentless hardwork, and today he felt at the peak of his form, he knew he was his best today and all those years of painstaking work were going to bear fruit today.

He got up, stretched and quickly went through his warm up routine. today was his day, today he was supreme.

It was time. His moment had arrived.

He walked into the stadium. He was excited to see the crowds, excited by finally getting here, in the arena where only the strongest, fastest and mightiest were heroes. but he controlled his excitement.. there was a race to be won. a medal to be worn. adulation to be received.

He looked at the other athletes alongside him. Each of them had worked hard like him to be here, but he was confident, for had he not spent days and nights training for this race, had he not worked harder than anybody else to get his body in its present pace?

The pistol shot and they leapt off. His feet pounded on the tracks with mechanical perfection. He was swift, he was fluid, he was going to win.

Suddenly he realised, he wasnt alone. Beside him was another man bigger stronger and swifter. and with every stride he was going further ahead. He tried his best, his mind and spirit were far ahead of him and his body valiantly fought to catch up. He poured out every ounce of everything he got into the effort but the other guy was still ahead. His muscles screamed, his body strained. his anguish heightened he stretched out every nerve every sinew.

Seconds later it was all over.

He lay panting besides the tracks. He watched the victor run into the crowds, his hands raised, the face jubliant. Wearily he got up and walked to the winner. He knew he has run his best race, he knew he had broken all his previous records but he also knew he had been beaten by a better man. He held out his hand to congratulate the victor but the hero of the day was too busy and occupied with his companions and the adulating crowds.

He sighed and turned back . He half heard the consolances of his friends. Defeat looked him squarely in the eye

Defeat: that most singularly crushing of all emotions. The realisation that you were not good enough. That your best is but a shadow in front of the brilliance of  others.

Defeat: That bitter pill ,life gives us sometimes. That cruelest but most effective of teachers. The classroom from where you cannot escape your lessons. The whipping you cannot avoid.

Defeat:A situation we all have to face sometime. Something we all need to figure out how to handle. where the theory is there in the head but it makes no difference in practice to how miserable you feel. when you fight to keep cheery while you are dying inside.

He smiled as if it was ok, he shrugged as if it didnt matter, he agreed to everyone who said there is a next time, he accepted all inspirational quotes handed out to him to ease the blow. He joked, He laughed.

Then he walked into his locker room alone and shut the door firmly behind him.

 

The athlete sat on his bench in the locker room staring at nothing.

Current Mood: Thoughtful
Current Music: Prof Ludwig van Drake