A
Things to Do
Competition Can Be Quite
A
statement like this causes most readers to think about sports. In my case, academics come to mind. As far back as elementary school, I can remember trying to excel in my school work. It was great to get a good grade, but even better to get a score which was higher than my rival. From somewhere during fourth grade all the way through until high school graduation, he was there, excelling at everything. Or so I thought. When the class rankings were posted at graduation, he wasn’t valedictorian. It wasn’t even close. He got bumped down the list, by a girl! In retrospect, I realized somewhere along that journey how little his success mattered to how well I was succeeding in my efforts. For one thing, we weren’t always in the same classes anymore and he spent more time playing sports. That’s when I realized how often I enjoyed participating in games and activities simply for the fun of doing it, rather than for winning. Recently, I was asked to be a judge for a cooking contest. Yes, the winners were all smiles, but the losers were the ones who gained something from the process. They asked good questions, listened to suggestions, developed perseverance and learned how to adapt and improve. In the long run, their take away value was worth more than the bragging rights enjoyed by the first-place team. Culinary competitions aren’t generally considered to be sports. I can only guess the reason: no one has taken the time to think about the physical coordination, skill and endurance
-20- | EXTENDEDWEEKENDGETAWAYS.COM ~ August, 2022
needed to participate. For example, one must have the proper mindset, for without it the food item just won’t taste as good. For cooking, mental focus is required to make sure each step is completed correctly. Next, let’s consider muscle tone and strength: try kneading bread and you’ll understand what I mean. Imagine the stretching required to reach something which has been tucked into the back of the bottom cabinet. Balance is a big plus, especially when climbing up to that top shelf or cabinet to retrieve a specific pan, dish or utensil. Even with abundant timers and buzzers, having that inner timing is especially important when baking. Alertness is big factor for all sorts of safety
