This past Saturday, I raced with a dragon boat team in the SF Dragon Boat Festival. What fun!
My team consisted of adults and high school teenagers who were part of two service organizations in the City. Perhaps due to the fact that some of the team members did not show up at every practice, our performance was not as consistent as the other teams. It was eye opening to see how some of the teams had matching life jackets and paddles while others just used the loaners provided by the festival.
Our team came in last in our heat in the first race. With each of the three heats, we got better. Still, the team never tasted victory.
I felt like a winner b/c I am not a fan of team sports. This was the first time in my life that I actually belonged to a team other than track and debate where I only competed in individual events.
For the sake of the high school kids, I am glad that we did not win and had to fight to not be last in the second and third race. Looking at these second or third-generation Asian kids, I wonder how many of them had opportunities to challenge themselves. It's so rare for young people to experience hardships these days. Even myself, I never worried about money until I was in fifth grade.
The dragon boat race was as real as it gets, with some of the corporate teams getting lots of advantages, and the results reflected those advantages. Perhaps this is why I love sports; it's the only area where one is challenged in a controlled environment yet can continue to improve and gain confidance.
It's a great thing that I don't have many challenges in my life. Yes, life is too easy at times. It's time to challenge myself rather than wait for life to hand me some hurdles.
