Page 20 - voices.may2018

TERRY TALKS

Where the

Sidewalk Ends

From a poem that I should have learned in Kindergarten
Terry Beard

I call upon the wisdom in lyrics by Shel can-do spirit, with a never-give-up attitude—

Silverstein, to expound on the value of good among other successful ingredients sprinkled
relationship connections and management. in for good measure. This sure-fired success
“I will not play at tug o’ war. formula continues to drive a win-lose operating
I’d rather play at hug o’ war, style which has made this country great. Our

Where everyone hugs individualism has driven our society from its
Instead of tugs, troubled and rough-cut beginnings to success
Where everyone giggles beyond our wildest imagination, which we can
And rolls on the rug, measure easily by our many accomplishments.

Where everyone kisses, But . . . do we stop to ask is enough enough? Do
And everyone grins, we take the time to ask ourselves—by continuing
And everyone cuddles, to measure our achievements based on our
And everyone wins.” own changes—if we are sizing up others and

“For the children, they mark, they know deciding whether we’ve won, and our friends
The place where the sidewalk ends.” and acquaintances have lost. To know that we, at
If we don’t monitor ourselves as we walk least, are doing much better than others and that
through life, where the sidewalk ends, we let go knowing gives us an ego boost. But conversely,

of the child-like fantasy of an all-win society may give others an ego bust.
which then easily becomes a society of win-lose. Today, this ‘measuring up’ is all coming at a
Like moving from childlike, idealistic fantasy of price. Our win-lose cultural climate is sneaky
all winners to the dictates of a competitive life by nature. Clearly it is manifesting itself in how

foisted on us by our society. we treat one another.
As children in America we move insidiously As we grow older in the American culture our
from a competitive society increasingly to a idealism seems to fade with age. The questions we
society of winners and losers, an individualistic ask each other reveals so much about ourselves.

culture driven by win-lose. People knowingly ask questions of one
In the United States, we are known as rugged another to take their measure as if they are
individualists, guided by dogged-determined, sincerely interested in the other. But often, their
capitalist attributes— laser-focused, with a facial features are sending another message. I

20 ONE COMMUNITY