"We've got Spirit, yes we do!...We've got Spirit...how about you?"
I used to shout that across the football field, standing in the wrapping, gravel filled track and field lanes--saddle shoes springing, petticoats swinging, and pom pons pointed and extended to the sky.
This was our Pom and Cheer line's Spirit Chant, as we riled up our team's fans to stand up from their bleachers, and toss that Chant across to the opposing side. If the other side answered back, we'd yell it again, only bigger and louder!
Those were good times thinking back to my Pom Line days. We were accomplished, savvy, entertaining and full of energy. We were a group of teen aged girls who relished healthy competition, worked hard, pooled our resources, and pulled off some great performances.
Each week, we assessed our strengths and weaknesses, divided up and assigned tasks, then cooperated to combine each assignment in collaboration, and practiced until we were perfect. Every squad member individually honed her talents, creativity and ideas, and brought them to the table, which were efficiently utilized to produce a beautifully melded and crafted end result.
We were young, practicing entrepreneurs, building our little individual brands and styles that would be presented together in each dance number package. A production machine and factory line of ideas...all proud of our individual contributions, and happy to work together to lighten our loads, have time to do homework, and simply have a blast.
As I sit here now in my present entrepreneurial shoes, sans the saddles, it feels as though this push and drive and competitive nature are now viewed as selfish, extravagant and shameful. There's a new attitude it seems towards our American work ethic and entrepreneurs, as if the only desire to work is to make money, and everyone in business is painted into this little box of crookedness and greed.
Yes, of course we will always have crooks to fight, but I hope we can regain our confidence and dreams again, and always push forward to try and try again, even if we have to fail a few times. I hope we can relish the success of others, and feel pride and relief in our neighbors' achievements, regardless of the size of their wallets.
I know I do, and still hold on to my dreams and goals as a person and entrepreneur. I know "I've still got Spirit, yes I do!...I've got Spirit...how about you?"
~Courtney
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10 comments:
hold on to your dreams and dont ever let them go :) Have a great week ahead :)
I hope that we get back that competitive edge. We are turning into losers without it. Or worse, we are turning into wait for someone else and maybe I'll do it people. Look at the stew it has landed us in.
This is beautiful--sooo inspiring :)
Yeah! You guys give me hope. We are still out there. We just have to keep it alive!:)
Courtney
I was on pom pons in high school too. I do miss it...the thrill, the excitement. I hadn't thought of it that way, but yes, we were each branding ourselves back then...especially when it came to try-out time. Thanks for bringing back memories!
Love this post, Court. I like what Ann Mullen said. Enough of us waiting around for others to do the work.
Betina
This really inspired me to think about my own entrepreneurial spirit.
"I hope we can regain our confidence and dreams again, and always push forward to try and try again, even if we have to fail a few times. I hope we can relish the success of others, and feel pride and relief in our neighbors' achievements, regardless of the size of their wallets"
Sometimes, it is so hard to feel happy for the success of others when I myself am struggling so hard, but this is a great reminder of how important it is.
Christina,
I like to look at it as...when my neighbor is doing well, I can do well too, because if I wish against my neighbor, a neighbor can wish against me, just the same;)
Courtney
That is waaaay cool!!!! Thanks for sharing that. My children loved it! Little one is chanting it now. LOL
-Steph
There are things we did while growing up and it never occurred to us that we were building our future. I don't think you have come this far to get distracted from what people think about what you are doing. You worked for it, so keep on living your dreams and goals and never let the spirit die.
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