The Other Beautiful Game

Whilst this may sound like I’m full of my own ego, I must say that I’m an inspirational person. I change people. I make them take courses of action that would normally scare them. I make them take huge leaps.

For instance:

My ex-girlfriend who found out that I was building a house with my then-wife: She insisted that she buy her own house by herself to prove to me that she was a better person than I.

The members of the club I am in: they have looked upon my trip to Japan with disdain, as they believe that someone who hasn’t trained as long as them shouldn’t go to Japan before them. So now, they’re going to Japan.

Boyfriends of my former sister-in-laws: They insisted that my getting a higher paid job than them was a result of effective schmoozing. Last time I checked, they were inspired and had applied for higher paying jobs.

My fellow classmates who discovered that I had been selected to try out for a state squad in a particular sport: They were inspired to take up the said sport so that they could get a higher state ranking than I.

Yes. I am an inspiration.

But note that these people weren’t inspired by my actions, per se. They were inspired by the fact that, as a result of my achieving something, that they had to do something that would make them better than me.

So, I’m not exactly an inspiration because people want to be like me. I’m an inspiration because people simply must be better than me.

They cannot simply watch me get something on my own… they have to surpass my effort. Because they’re better than me. It’s not that they’re aspiring to be better people… it’s spite: to show me just how mediocre and middle-of-the-road I truly am.

These kinds of people have been in my life for a very long time. Yes, they are nice to my face, and they thoroughly enjoy regaling me with their knowledge of such-n-such. However, it is once I begin getting proactive and doing things on my own that these people change.

Their attitude towards me changes. I hear them bitching behind my back. I hear them speaking of untold “rules” which should have prevented me from doing what I have done…

“You have to work for three years before getting that position”

“You must have trained for four years before studying in Japan”

“You have to be seven foot tall to try out for the state squad”

“You need to study to have articles published”

It is these unspoken rules that serve to remind me that life isn’t about doing what you want, however you want. It’s a game, played against other competitors, with an indeterminate finish and a tragic halftime show (normally involving convertibles and blonde girlfriends).

Those who do not follow the rules should be benched, and made an example of, emasculated, surpassed and then removed altogether.

The beautiful irony is… those who I’m inspiring… they don’t even realise I’m doing it. They probably wouldn’t believe it, either.