Events of the last few weeks, months, years have been
weighing heavily on my mind. It bothers
me when people’s views on certain topics come between them. I’ve had so many times where the politics
have been so divisive that friends who have had so much in common either can’t
talk in a civil manner, or just choose not to talk at all. I often find myself not saying anything
because don’t want to deal with angry comments on either side of the
issues.
Am I talking about the Presidential Election? Immigration policy? The ongoing budget/tax cut battles? Nope.
I’m talking about the Lance Armstrong doping case that has been going on
for quite some time, but has come to a head in the last few weeks. To some he’s a hero. To others, he’s a cheat. In cycling circles, there is virtually
nothing between the two extremes.
As usual, I’m so far outside the box, that I find myself
right smack in the middle of the two extremes.
I’m not here to talk about what I think on the topic. I’m going to try to get y’all to talk about
it in your own lives and with your own friends.
More than talk, I wholeheartedly encourage you to listen. That’s something that we tend to lose so
much.
It wasn’t so long ago that I was so far to the extreme of
the “Lance is evil” camp that I couldn’t listen. What changed?
I had a shakabuku, the swift, spiritual kick to the head
that alters your reality forever. I
had a 90 second talk one day with a friend in the bike room at work. It was just the right amount of time for me
to realize that I needed to change. It
wasn’t anything that my friend said… but my reaction to what he said. He’s someone I respect immensely.. and his
views were so different from mine, that I couldn’t help receive the cycling
equivalent of a shakabuku. I needed to
spend more time listening and a lot less time thinking about right and wrong…
black and white.
Bottom line: The years
of negativity that I’ve had about Lance, the way he treated other people and
the sport of cycling were really not at all different from the people I know
who have just as ardently believed in his innocence and great works for cycling
and those who suffer from cancer. Seeing
things only as black or white helps no-one. Nothing worth being passionate about is every
good to see in only black and white. The
joy is in the details…. The meeting of minds… the process of adding complexity
to ones views and lives.
Where do we go from here?
I know what I’m doing. I’m going
to find some people that I know and love and listen to what they have to
say. I’ve been doing that for a few
months now, since my initial shakabuku.
It helps. Trust me.
If you’re cheering about the recent happenings in the
case, then I urge you to go out to the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s web site
and spend a little time there. Read some
of the testimonials from people whose lives have changed dramatically from the
things they do. Better yet, talk to a
cancer survivor about the help they’ve received. Listen, learn and make it your own. I did.
If you steadfastly believe that Lance has been wronged
and is a victim of a witch hunt, spend a little time reading Jonathan Vaughters’
recent editorial/confession in the New York Times, the article about Betsy
Andreau in yesterday’s Washington Post or Paul Kimmage’s article in The
Guardian this week and see how things look from the other side.
From there you do not walk away. Do not point fingers. Do not judge.
Learn, live, love and go for a long bike ride!
Thanks for reading.
Pete
***********************
References:
Lance Armstrong Foundation: http://www.livestrong.org/ Look everywhere, but specifically look at the
Get Help, Take Action and What We Do links. This blog entry was another good place to
start: http://blog.livestrong.org/2011/04/25/livestrong-program-testimonials/ Notice that I say “good place to start”. There are so many good resources for positive
information here. Let this be the
beginning of a journey to learning about the good and the healing that goes on…
not just talking about healing bodies… but also minds, souls and families.
Jonathan Vaughters’ editorial in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/opinion/sunday/how-to-get-doping-out-of-sports.html?pagewanted=all
Washington Post article about Betsy Andreau and
others: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/longtime-witness-against-lance-armstrong-finally-vindicated/2012/08/25/804ed02c-ef07-11e1-b829-786e028dccb3_story.html
Paul Kimmage’s editorial in The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/26/cycling-clean-up?fb=optOut
No comments:
Post a Comment