Monday, February 7, 2011

Walking On

Okay, I know sports metaphors are overdone...and I don't usually use them. I have a (sort of) personal connection to this one.

The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl. Yeah, yeah huzzah for them and all that. The story I want to tell is about one of their receivers, Jordy Nelson, a kid (and yes, even though he now holds the Green Bay postseason record for yards in a postseason game, I can still call a guy ten years younger than me "kid") who grew up about fifteen miles from my hometown.

Long before Nelson grabbed nine passes and scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl, before the Packers chose him in the second round of the draft, before he set Kansas State records as a senior, he was a walk-on for that Wildcat team as a freshman. And before that, he was "just" a Kansas farm kid.

He saw something he wanted and went for it.

Now he's a world champion.

Does everyone achieve what they "go for"? No. Of course not.

But the only way to guarantee failure is by not trying at all.

I don't even need to explain the correlation with writing, do I?

)

12 comments:

Cate Gardner said...

Did you submit to Clarkesworld again? :D *Runs away*

Aaron Polson said...

Haha! Not yet...but when I have something worthy (or on-target) I will. I will.

Lee Thompson/Thomas Morgan/James Logan/Julian Vaughn said...

I agree. No success ever comes by giving up or by being so crippled by fear that you don't use all of your potential. Focus and determination are important in everything. :D

Aaron Polson said...

Focus is very--look, something shiny!

(kidding...kidding)

But yes, focus. And fear? Bah, humbug. I don't believe in fear. (But it sure believes in me)

Kara McElhinny said...

That is a great lesson, Aaron! I can whole-heartily look at stories like this and it really is what keeps me going. People just have to try, get a goal, decide one's path and do it. I love this stuff. :)

Happy writing!

Anonymous said...

Yessir, we gots to keep on keepin' on.

Aaron Polson said...

Cheers, Kara and right back at you.

Milo - I think I hear "Eye of the Tiger" in the background...please say it isn't so. (ha)

Fox Lee said...

Their asses must fall asleep in those tight pants.

Aaron Polson said...

Ha!

Katey said...

Hell, I was born a Pittsburgh fan, but I have to admit that I was a little traitorous this time around. Gotta love the Pack. And I didn't know that about Nelson. That kid is DANGEROUS.

In the best possible way.

Hell yeah. That's the idea!

Simon Kewin said...

Yep, great point. If you don't have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true? Mind you, I'm just hoping the Giants are reading this ...

Aaron Polson said...

Katey - I was a little torn (being born a child of Steeler dominance in the seventies), but the local angle had me.

Simon - hell, what about my Chiefs? They haven't seen a freaking playoff victory since '94. 94!