Being from the Chicago suburbs, I was extremely disappointed when Chicago wasn’t picked to host the 2016 Olympic Games. You’d think that most Chicagoans 
would share my grief, but ironically, that’s not the case! Actually, almost half of the city opposed our Olympics bid. But that’s another story for another day.
Today I’d rather focus on what it means to “lose” – because, well, Chicago lost.
My town has seen more than its fair share of losing. After all, we’re home to the Cubs – the “loveable losers” of the North Side. Sometimes it seems Chicago’s mantra is “wait til next year!” But with the Olympics, there is no next year. Chicago has been left in the cold.
STILL CARRYING A TORCH
Let’s face it, losing hurts. It makes us sad. Sometimes it makes us angry. It never, ever, makes us happy. (Unless of course, secretly we were betting on the other team!)
Rather than simply letting the wound heal unnoticed, well-meaning people often try to console losers with pearls of wisdom like:
- “It’s only a game”
- “It’s really not that important, anyway” or
- “It’s not life and death, you know.”
These sentiments may be designed to distract losers from the pain that accompanies defeat. But do they really help anyone believe that losing isn’t so bad? I’m not buying it.
OK. So then, what about cheery clichés like:
- “Something good will come from this” or
- “Maybe it’s all for the best”
It makes me wonder if perhaps we should’ve been aiming to lose instead of win!
WINNERS VS. WHINERS
Regardless, I can’t help from asking the obvious…So what? Life is full of pain and suffering. Losing isn’t fatal. It merely means we didn’t get something we wanted (even if we wanted it really, really badly!).
Adults understand this – which is why we usually don’t tolerate temper tantrums from self-absorbed children (or from adults who sometimes act like they haven’t grown up). While we hate to lose, we also hate losers who whine. Learning to lose is part of maturing – even though it’s a tough lesson that life tends to teach us over and over again.
LOSING ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL
We all understand that, while losing is painful, it’s not lethal. Except, of course, in circumstances like warfare. In combat, when you lose it means people die. On a battlefield, people don’t always walk away. But then, war is not a game.
In fact, in a combat zone, Soldiers rarely use the terms “win” and “lose.” That’s because they understand the difference can mean life or death. Instead, they use terms like “suppress” and “overcome” to talk about achieving their mission.
Don’t get me wrong – most Soldiers love sports, and would much rather watch an athletic event (even if their team loses) than be in a firefight! But war isn’t a sport. It’s not a respectful competition among peers, where the rules are clear and “the best man wins.”
Fortunately, Soldiers know the score, and when fighting the enemy, are willing to go to the mat for their team.
CHICAGO’S OLYMPIC DREAM – GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
But what does that have to do with Chicago’s lost Olympics? Like many, many Chicagoans, I’m undeniably sad. I would’ve loved to see the world come to Chicago and see athletic competition of the highest caliber. I believe Chicago could’ve staged an absolutely wonderful Olympics. But now, we won’t have that chance.
That outcome may not be deadly. But it’s still painful.
Oh well. Maybe something good will come out of it…Maybe it’s for the best…
Jeff
