photo #1926435

When asked why he cheated in the movie Cool Runnings,  Irv Blitson responded " That's a fair question. It's quite simple, really. I had to win. You see, Derice, I'd made winning my whole life. And when you make winning your whole life, you have to keep on winning, no matter what. You understand that?" Derice: "No, I don't understand. You won two gold medals. You had it all."Irv: "Derice, a gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without one, you'll never be enough with one.""It's the event's in our lives that form us, its the choice's we make that shape us." Growing up, I lived on boats. Traveled many places, saw incredible sights, met wonderful people from all walks of life. Some I'm still able to talk to to this day. I did most of this on what is know as the "Great loop". Inland waterways and the Atlantic ocean. Encircling the east coast from the Carolinas to the Missouri. I still follow sites that keep me in the know. Sadly, what I'm seeing is people are doing it so they can say they are "loopers", they completed the great loop. They didn't enjoy the journey, the sights, or the people along the way. It was how fast can I get back to my job, house, etc. Its another "trophy" for their collection.  Between societal change and this pandemic, we have lost the bonds that bring us together. All humans are the same. We all bleed red, we all put our pants on one leg at a time. We are no better or worse than the next person.  In the end, it's all about the choices we make in our lives. Sometimes winning is everything, enjoying the journey  is...