I enjoyed reading "The Way We Ran," by Jim Denison. And how could I not? It contained many colorful and evocative stories of members of his running team, and I certainly enjoy reading entertaining stories. Who doesn't?
But is there more to this article than just a collection of amusing stories? I think there is, and to me, this appears to be the reason for this article. He tells his stories as examples of a new way of writing, a way that will fulfill promises that he learned in Norman's class. A way that will contain "such concepts as situated interpretation, transgression, and deconstruction" (Denison, 2006, p. 337). Denison wishes to frame particular stories in a way that will instruct the reader, a way to frame the past so that it teaches the reader an important lesson. The lesson will be easy for the reader to digest because it is told in a real way that the reader can relate to.
I appreciated this method of storytelling because it highlights something that I have attempted to do in my own life. I think that experiences that we, or others, go through should serve as a learning platform for us to grow from. If we simply pass through this life and do not learn or grow as we age, then what is the point? It reminds me of a saying that I heard when I was 20 years old. "Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone." I do not know who I heard it from, or from where it originates, but it has stuck with me. If we wish to age with wisdom, then we need to learn from the experiences we pass through.
When you live through an experience, go back and replay it in your head and glean what lessons you can from it. For Denison, he does this through his writing. For most of us, it may just be an internal process. Either way - live and learn!
Hi Matt,
ReplyDeleteI really agree with what you said about learning from your life experiences. I truly believe that a valuable lesson can be found in both good and bad experiences alike. I also enjoyed the storytelling method of writing because as a reader I think it becomes easier to relate to and pull messages from.
"But is there more to this article than just a collection of amusing stories? I think there is"
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinion on Denison's article. It really struck me how Denison was able to draw parallels between a person's running style and the way the person developed in their life. One story that was particularly interesting me was the runner who had so much talent but was lazy and ultimately just became fat. It reminded me people can sometimes fail to see how their actions today will impact them tomorrow.
Denison's story greatly reminded me of my track days in high school. It was always interesting to see how different personalities emerged in an individual sport. Would you say that it was the same for you for wrestling? Did your teammates' techniques mimic their personality? Also Denison story focused on his college running team. Would say that their a major difference in personalities between your high school and college team?
Scott raises a question that I thought about in this article. I remembered that people used to say that a tennis player's personality came out in the way that s/he played on the court. For example, Martina Navratilova played an aggressive, serve-and-volley game, and her personality seemed to be very similar. Likewise, Chris Evert played a steady baseline game. Her persona on the court (as well as off) appeared to be stoic and disciplined. What I especially liked about Denison's article was how he brought the characters to life by the words he used to describe them.
ReplyDeleteI think that sports tells a lot about a person on and off the court. Though there are rare cases where someone transforms into another person on the playing field, often times it seems as though they are much the same outside of sports. In working with a successful college team, I have noticed a difference in personalities from those that were on my high school teams. The athletes in general seem to be very competitive and have more aggressive and outgoing personalities as compared with those that I went to high school with. There are several though that level the team out as a whole. It makes me wonder whether many college athletes are like this. Is having a more competitive, aggressive personality a key component to being a successful athlete as well as talent?
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