In the Arena

Let me tell you a story.

The arena was packed on this fateful day.  The sun was beaming overhead.  The crowd had gathered in anticipation of a great battle.  They wanted to see action … more than action.  They wanted to see someone go down.

"Down"

"Down"

"Down"

The chants rang throughout the area.  It echoed in the tunnels.  It bounced off the walls.  It roared and rumbled up the hillside. 

At the appointed hour our home-town contender stepped onto this stage. 

Could he win? 

Could he conquer? 

Could he be the victor at the end of the day?

Only time would tell.

The gong sounded.  The battle began.

Home-town Contender marched to his appointed spot, facing his opponent.  The crowd roared.  The loudspeaker bellowed out the blow-by-blow.

Contender took a blow to the head.  It was ugly.  It was messy.

He took a swing. 

Missed.

Another blow and our contender went down.  Would he get back up?  The crowd waited, watched, and stirred restlessly. 

Yet up he came. 

Up to face the challenger again, and again, and again. 

Swing after mighty swing.

Try after try.

And then …

Over the public address system we hear these words ...

“It is not the critic who counts; not the

man who points out how the strong man

stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could

have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually

in the arena, whose face is marred by dust

and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;

who errs, who comes short again and again

Because there is no effort without error

and shortcoming; but who does actually

strive to do the deeds; who knows great

enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends

himself in a worthy cause;

Who at the best knows in the end the triumph

of high achievement, and who at the worst,

if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

(Theodore Roosevelt

Sometimes referred to as

The Man in the Arena)

What a legacy!  To fail while daring greatly.

May all of your exploits be worthy of this commanding comment.

“If I fail, I shall fail daring greatly!”

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time