when your turn is next
sometimes person went before
is Simone Biles
Watching the latest performance of Simone Biles I am reminded of Jack Buck describing Kirk Gibson’s home run in Game 1 of the Oakland Athletics 1988 World Series.
If you don’t remember, Mr. Buck said, “I don’t believe what I just saw.”
I digress but while a lot of people remember the quote I don’t believe what I just saw, they remember that Vin Scully said it and they are wrong.
Vin Scully said, “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.“
For my purposes both quotes work.
Watching Ms. Biles, I don’t believe what I just see as she makes the so improbable, the so impossible, happen.
Somewhere in this blog I relay the information that some physicist studied Ms. Biles and with the laws of physics PROVED that what she did was not possible to be done.
Something a long the lines that it takes longer to decide to swing a bat than it does for a pitched ball to reach the plate.
It must be magic.
I am content to leave it there and just enjoy it except that might just not be fair to not recognize the toughness of mind, body and training Ms. Biles has to go through to reach this level of magic.
But an odd thought came to me as I watched a clip of Ms. Biles in action.
As she finished, she ran off the mat and hugged another gynmast.
A gymnast watching the same performance.
A gymnast watching the same performance knowing it was her turn next.
To stand there and NOT SAY, NOPE – NOT ME – SOME ONE ELSE – GOTTA TIE MY SHOE – JUST TAKE THE NEXT PERSON … that alone also takes a lot of magic or something.
What could that next gymnast be thinking?
In the case of Ms. Biles, it does seem that there teammates are some of her biggest fans.
It happens often I guess.
Probably just as bad for the gymnast who went before Ms. Biles.
I remember once hearing a talk by a lawyer about how to handle difficult moments in court.
This lawyer said the dumbest thing you could do was try to hide something that everyone just saw.
You drop your files.
You tip over your coffee.
Don’t act like it didn’t happen, look at the jury and look at the judge and shrug or something.
This lawyer said tell the jury everything, especially as a young lawyer.
He took a question and someone asked what do you do if you are a young lawyer and the opposing attorney was Edward Bennett Williams(at the time a big name), what do you do?
The lawyer said tell the jury.
The lawyer said, tell the jury that you are a brand new, just starting attorney.
Then point to the other lawyer say to the jury, DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS?
THAT is Edward Bennett Williams!
Edward Bennett Williams!
DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS?
Make sure, the lawyer said, the jury knows who is David and who is Goliath.
The audience had a follow up question.
In that situation, if you are Edward Bennett Williams, what do you do?
Oh, said the lawyer, if you are Edward Bennett Williams, you will know what to do.
I for sorry for those of us who aren’t the Simone Biles of this world.
The race is not always given to the swift.
But in the case of gymnastics …
Like so many things in my life, if I can’t do, I will just enjoy watching those that can.
No Haiku For You 