Last week after training one morning Coach Luttrell showed me this poem. No I’m not a poet (maybe a warrior poet) nor a huge fan of reading poetry but this one is worthy of a post. Check it:
I watched them tearing a building down,nA gang of men in a busy town.nWith a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell,nThey swung a beam and a sidewall fell.nI asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled,nAs the men you’d hire if you had to build?”nHe gave me a laugh and said, “No indeed!nJust common labor is all I need.nI can easily wreck in a day or twonWhat builders have taken a year to do.”nAnd I tho’t to myself as I went my way,nWhich of these two roles have I tried to play?nAm I a builder who works with care,nMeasuring life by the rule and square?nAm I shaping my deeds by a well-made plan,nPatiently doing the best I can?nOr am I a wrecker who walks the town,nContent with the labor of tearing down?
– Unknown
One of the greatest character traits weightlifting develops is both patience and humility. These lines remind us that we have an opportunity to build other up or tear others down. One takes no effort at all. One takes great patience and humility.