Sports are a national pastime. Look no further than NCAA March Madness .....
to
know we are serious about sports.
Accumulating the most points or the best execution of a particular
motion or task excites us.
So
what are the potential drawbacks, what limits some of us from participating in
sports?
There
is a limited roster. If you are not, at
least seven feet tall-probably you will not be playing in basketball’s March
Madness. Even in grade school, and most certainly by high school, only the best athletes are chosen to participate in the finite team roster. The rules
are sometimes complicated and restrictive. There are physical
requirements. Not all of us are
physically fit enough to meet the endurance requirements of the sport. There
are winners and losers. It is great to
be the winner, not so much so being the loser.
What
might be the perfect all around accessible sport? One that has no membership
limitation, participation can occur nearly anywhere and anytime, allows for counting
and accumulating points, provides the health benefits encompassed in walking,
lends itself to publicity and applause for participation regardless of score,
and there are no losers only winners. Is
there such a sport? Yes, there is one.
Do
you want to try it out? Grab an empty grocery bag or garbage bag and a pair of
gloves. Head outside alone or with a friend or a group of folks. Walk around
your neighborhood, or a park, or downtown or wherever you like. There are no
age limitations, no size, weight or strength limitations. As long as you can
get from point A to point B and can pick up an item from the ground, you can
participate in this sport.
Whether
you pick up 1 piece every day or 100 pieces in a weeks’ time-you are a winner,
and through your efforts, everyone shares in your win. Participation provides
the health benefits gained from walking, and a cleaner healthier environment
for people and for all the creatures that frequent your arena. As you progress in frequency and quantity,
look for improved awareness, a feeling of accomplishment and a sense of giving
back, as well as an awakened spirit of adventure.
The skill of this sport is in
observation and collection of littered trash. Note the exhilaration each game
point provides. Slam-dunk each bag of collected litter as though you
were seven feet tall and playing in the “Final Four” of basketball fame, or
just hit the game winning home run in the World Series, or just skated or skied
a majestic run. If a stranger beeps their car horn or waves to you while you
are playing this sport-consider it applause from the stands!
Litter is an All-Season sport; Drop a piece of
trash, you lose a point, pick up a piece of littered trash, you gain a point. Now get out there and clean up on the
competition.
This week’s haul was the last straw for my litterbag. This Green Up Day bag was reused in all four seasons since 2009; time to retire it and bring out a new one.
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