I had just started to write an email about wrestling training when all HELL broke loose in Washington.  

But not just in Washington.

In a local chat that I am (still barely) in, two friends went at each others throats.  

One started by making a broad statement disparaging over 70 million Americans as terrible people, simply based on their political opinions.  The other took exceptional offense to this and was harshly attacked and accused of things he had no part in.

I tend to be the ‘smooth things over’ person in the chat.  But after sending a very innocuous, non-political message…

I found myself on the target-end of a ruthless, vicious lie-based libelous attack on my character.

Of course I didn’t take it sitting down.  

I proceeded to call out said reading-challenged SJW, who was determined to cancel-culture me and place me in a deplorable box, over – well, nothing.

The message I sent wasn’t even directed to her, and wasn’t even about the controversy.

But that’s the world we live in.  People can turn on you on a dime over perceived beliefs – even ones that are far from your true, stated beliefs.  

In short:  I am opposed to any acts of violence, unlawful actions, etc – no matter the cause or the perpetrator.   Amazing how many people (including the above SJW) oppose that viewpoint.

It took me a while to reach my epiphany.  But then there it was in plain sight:

The world could learn a lot from a wrestler.

A wrestler:

• Trains for years to perfect his craft – mostly far away from the bright lights and attention that others live by  
• Displays more discipline than any other athletes on the planet – managing weight, oftentimes skipping delicious holiday meals (or greatly reducing her intake “no pie for you”)…often being the one to go for a run on Thanksgiving on Christmas, even on New Years, to control ones weight and maintain top level conditioning.   
• Asks for NO handouts, and is given none.  He earns everything he gets with his blood and sweat, and revels in the process.
• Willingly helps her less experienced teammates starting the journey.
• Gets the most satisfaction over the successful completion of the journey – not Facebook likes, twitter hearts, or picture displayed in the paper.

Plus this:  The wrestler fights his opponent toe to toe, battling for 6 minutes until both are exhausted.  And at the end of the day, shakes hands with the opposition.  Oftentimes hunts down his opposition later to…

Get to know him.  A person from the Other Side. Wearing a different uniform.  Having a different viewpoint.  Believing different things.

And they become friends.

A wrestler doesn’t just throw away a friendship over a differing viewpoint.  Instead, they embrace their friend, and accept her for the person she is.  “The differences don’t matter because deep down I know her heart, and her heart is good.”

If only the world could learn from a wrestler.