Highland Games Again

This past weekend I participated in my third Highland Games.

I suppose a reasonable question to ask is why I like the Highland Games.  After all, I'm generally the smallest and lightest guy out in the field.  It's almost guaranteed that I'll have a lock on last place.  I'm "competing" (if you want to dignify my participation that way) with men who in some cases outweigh me by 120 pounds and tower over me by at least 6 inches and women who are in much better shape than I can ever hope to be.  In height, weight, girth and strength, I'm over matched.

So why do I go?

Because I love it.  Because every time I get out there (as someone said at a practice) I am participating in something which millions have heard of but of which < 1% of the population will do.  And it's fun.

Because it's history.  When I hurl a stone or pick a caber, I am participating with thousands who, over 1500 years, have done the same thing.  I am a living part of the history I love so much.

Because it's challenging.  To hurl something that is heavy is more than just brute strength.  It's technique.  It's learning to do something better and better.  It ultimately engages not just the body but the mind.  It trains me to learn to set goals - and keep going when I've achieved them.

Because it's enjoyable.  And it's not just enjoyable because I'm participating.  It's enjoyable because every game I have participated in is not an exercise in competition, it's an exercise in being with other people who are there for the same reason you are and are encouraging you to do as well as you can.  Yes, it's the ultimate in an individual achievement sport - but it's balanced by a group of like minded individuals who are there to support as well as compete.  While subtle, the difference between being on the outside of the participation line and inside the ring is present.  The cheers of your fellow competitors - who know - is more meaningful than those who are just passing by to watch.

But probably the reason I do it the most is to prove something to myself.  To prove that even at my middle age, it's not too late to learn to do something new that's physically hard and mentally challenging.

The season is almost to its end here.  But that's okay.  2013 is around the corner.

And I'll be there, a bush among the taller trees, trying to hurl 25% of body weight down the field.

And loving it.

 (More reasons to love the Highland Games:  What they teach about life here and here.