Early Grit
This article is based on the Cafe Grit Podcast, S2E09.
🍵🍵🍵🍵🍵🍵
While out on my daily walk, I was thinking about back when I was in elementary school.
When I was in elementary school in rural Michigan, back in the 70s and 80s, we had an annual event at our school every year called Field Day. It was an outdoor event like a little mini-Olympics with fitness events like races and relays.
Field Day was death to me. I was a pudgy nerd-like child, most definitely NOT the most athletically inclined although I did do pretty well in our recess kickball tournaments.
(If you're not familiar with kickball, it's basically baseball with a big bouncy ball that you kick instead of hitting with a bat.
I wasn’t the absolute worst athletically, but I was not really great. So year after year, I would do horribly.
In fourth grade, I came in dead last—dead fucking last—in the 50-yard dash. It was embarrassing. I wasn't trying to be Flo Jo Joyner here. I just didn't wanna be last.
The same thing happened in the standing long jump. This is where you just stand, swing your arms, and try to jump out as far as you can. Again…DEAD LAST!
This was in fourth grade and I was so embarrassed. I didn't really care at that point about being perfect. This was before puberty really hit, so it was before I started worrying about boys and what I looked like. However, I was old enough to recognize that I didn't like being this pudgy geek trailing behind every single one of my female peers. Every fucking year. This particular year, coming in last in two events was particularly distressing. And it was an internal thing.
I wasn't being taunted and I wasn't being bullied. I just wanted to do better.
This was before the days of “everybody gets a trophy.” It did help me learn how to fail and for that I am forever grateful. But the top five places in each event got a ribbon and I thought, wouldn't it be nice to just place and not come in dead last?
So the next year I decided to do something about it. I was now in fifth grade, almost in junior high. .
About a month before Field Day, I started practicing at home. I set up a long jump in my driveway and measured it out. Every day would go out after school and practice jumping. I lived out in the country, which is good because there was no one around to see me other than the pine trees and corn. The only people I worried about were my brothers, and they would bother me whether I was working on my fitness or reading a book, so it hardly mattered.
I jumped and I jumped, over and over and over. And to prepare for the 50-yard Dash, and I ran up and down the road. When Field Day finally came around, I at least felt a lot more ready. I didn't care if I won. I wasn't trying to be the best. I just didn't want to be last.
So I made a pretty respectable attempt on the standing long jump, and I ended up winning fifth place! WTF? I got a ribbon for that! First one EVER!
Then came the 50-yard dash, this was really my nemesis. This was the finale and everyone gathered around to watch.
HOLY SHIT! I ended up tying with another girl for fourth place! Another riboon!
So, what's the moral of this story?
Well, first of all, I like to think that I had a little bit of grit early on in the day. What is GRIT but moving past adversity, fear, failure, and getting up to try again. I didn’t care if I aced it, but I wanted to do better.
Also, practice makes better. It doesn't necessarily make you perfect, but it makes you better. I think that's really what grit is all about.
What have you been practicing? What do you need to practice? Is there anything in your life where you want to get better, but you're not sure how.
Have you tried just doing that thing over and over and over again until you get good? This will work in many areas of your life as, as I'm sure many other experts have told you, not just in athletics.
I appreciate your stopping by, Beth Anne Campbell with your Cafe Grit.
🍵🍵🍵🍵🍵🍵
Cafe Grit is a production of Beth Ann Campbell LLC. Thanks again for stopping by and remember, you are a fucking rockstar. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Take it easy.
Tell me about how it’s going, with that or anything else. The audio version of this article can be found on your favorite podcast streaming platforms.
Thank you once again for stopping by Café Grit, where the moxie is fresh, the passion cold-brewed, and everything is served with a heaping side of mojo.
Take it easy…
