Recent events have inspired me to reflect back on the idea that we learn more from the bad than we do from the good. Lebron’s choice to “take his talents to South Beach” and then coming back to Cleveland and scoring 24 points in the third quarter on Thursday followed by a loss in the state football championship are all pretty unfortunate occurrences. However, as a result of these let downs, we learn more about ourselves, others, and how we should act. Lebron’s hour special on ESPN to announce that he would be betraying the city that made him, taught us a lot about him and how we should behave. First, it showed us that Lebron is a disloyal and dishonest sidekick, but much more importantly we learned to always treat one’s hometown with the respect and honor it deserves. Lebron could have left with much more class but instead he taught us how to handle the big decisions in our lives. We learned the importance of effective communication and showing gratitude to those that support us. No one can fault him for leaving to go to Miami, but we can be upset with the method in which he chose to do so. If Lebron would have announced his decision differently he could have had us clapping for him last night but instead we booed every time he touched the ball and every single fan participated in the “Akron hates you” chant. We also learned not to be so self absorbed and conceited, Lebron thought that because he was so important, he should have an hour long show on national television to announce his betrayal. Now, on to last night, what did we learn after his point scoring extravaganza? First of all, we learned that he is in fact a great basketball player but we also learned who he really is. He is just a cocky and arrogant kid; he was taunting his own former teammates after he hit big shots. Lebron helped us to realize that no matter what, let our actions speak for themselves. He was scoring at will and even though it was impressive, he made a fool out of himself by talking trash to his teammates from just six months ago. We know to never stoop this low because we must always act with class and respect. Speaking of class and respect, I was very proud of how the students behaved at the state championship today. We did maintain our class even in the face of defeat. Even when the outcome looked bleak, we continued to cheer on our team and try to motivate them. We learned about the resiliency in us all despite the score on the scoreboard. It is my belief that we could not have learned so much about ourselves, others, and how to act properly if the three recent events would have had a positive outcome. And for this reason, it all makes sense why the books we read in AP English usually are not the happiest or do not end with a Disney ending. Ms. Serensky has a motive behind everything she does and by reading depressing or unhappy novels, we are able to learn more and earn a higher score on the AP test.
Thomas, I agree with you. Although the state championship game did not go well in our favor, I was very impressed with out student section and our adamant determination to keep cheering despite the unfavorable conditions. I always put disappointments into perspective and realize that "what goes up must come down" and vise versa. We will have our own victory soon enough.
ReplyDeleteThomas, I wrote my Common Application essay about many of the same topics you discussed in this entry. I discussed how LeBron's self-centered "Decision" helped me to learn the value of the supportive and unselfish tennis team I played on. Therefore, I could not agree more with the topics you addressed in regards to LeBron, and I found your contrast between LeBron James and our high school football team to be accurate.
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