| 18 October 2011
Complaining, whining and making excuses is the easiest way we deal with our problems. They momentarily distract us from confronting our real problems. They provide temporary relief to our pain. And they give us a false sense of security.
Today, I had a below average day.
I took my Spanish midterm and I'm sure I did not do as well as I should have and then I retreated to the basketball court where I thought I could relax.
Instead I ended up on a team with a guy that was yelling at me telling me not to shoot and I ended up missing all eight shots that I took in that pick-up game at the Rec Center. It may not seem like a bad day, but those two things started bugging me to a point where I declared the day to be "bad."
A little later after my basketball ego took a shot to the gut, I read this Seattle Times story by Mason Kelley about Katie Collier. The 18-year-old Collier is currently being treated with promyelocytic leukemia. Collier, who should be preparing for her senior basketball season, is instead taking chemotherapy pills twice a day.
Before she was diagnosed with the sickness, she was courting offers from UW, UCLA and Gonzaga — all three have said their offers to the 6'3" post player are still on the table. Collier is facing adversity that most people won't face in their lifetime. How is she handling it? She's dealing with it. She's not complaining. She's not whining. And she's not making excuses.
After reading this article, I was reminded of Steve Kelley's article on Andrew Moritz last week. Moritz, a former walk-on Husky basketball player is continuing his fight against cancer despite one his doctors telling him there are no treatment options available that will save him. Three years ago Moritz was told he'd have only six months to live and today he's still fighting.
"I mean there's still so much I want to do. I've got to see some of my other sisters get married. I've got to see my buddies' kids grow up. I'd like to get married some day and have kids. The word 'no' just kept coming into my head. 'No, no, no,' and I started crying uncontrollably," said Moritz.
I'll let you take the time to read these two inspirational stories. Thinking of Collier and Moritz reminded me there are more important aspects of life to worry about than getting a bad grade or having a bad basketball game. Andrew Moritz isn't pitying himself. He isn't making excuses for himself, he isn't complaining about his condition and he definitely isn't whining.
The next time you start to feel bad for yourself, take a deep breath and be a little stronger and be a little more courageous — learn a lesson or two from the Andrew Moritzs and the Katie Colliers of this world that continue to fight for their lives.
