Saturday, March 10, 2012

You Gotta Earn It

The Portland Marathon is one of my favorite races.

It's not just the flat terrain, 50-degree weather, and sea-level advantage that I like about the race.

It's the philosophy of the race organizers that I like.

The runner gets the "finisher" shirt only AFTER she finishes the race.

Not BEFORE.

While most city marathons hand out the "finisher" shirt with the athlete's race bib the day before the event out of convenience and, I suspect, to make everyone feel good whether they finish the race or not, the Portland Marathon (which does NOT have a half-marathon option by the way) is pure "old school."

You get the "finisher" shirt when you...well....FINISH the marathon.

Only after the runner's bib has been tagged by the officials at the finish line does the athlete receive the "finisher" shirt.

No finish.

No shirt.

This may sound petty.

But it sends a message.

A message that says...

You gotta earn it.

Towards the end of each semester in my Principles of Accounting I class, I have to remind my students that I don't GIVE grades to students.

They have to EARN their grades.

It's not that I am in the "winning is everything" camp.

But I have been a teacher and parent long enough to know something about human nature.  A nature that says that things that are not earned are often not valued.

I have seen many a student fail in school despite endless parental support.

While the student who is a single parent, working evenings at two retail jobs, and taking care of aging parents earns academic honors.

Because finishing is seldom about brains.

And often about ambition.

And determination.

You gotta earn it.

It's a concept that sounds cliche.

But a concept I believe it to be true.

Because it applies to more than just marathon running and Principles of Accounting.


AMJ

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