Maybe I’m an insensitive jerk, who doesn’t understand the complexity of the situation. I’ve been called that in the past, so it wouldn’t be a great surprise. Or, and this is a definite possibility, maybe society at large is too willing to dub a relatively insignificant act a great achievement.
Consider this. In NBA playoff games, the Los Angeles Lakers are 5-0 when Kobe Bryant is in court in the morning and on the court that night. The media, for some reason I’ve yet to decipher, has determined that this makes Kobe an incredibly gifted person. I believe they tend to exaggerate.
Granted, Kobe is an incredible basketball player faced with a troublesome rape charge, which can be, and probably is, a major distraction to his career. But let’s look at this ‘achievement’ with a critical eye.
First off, he’s flying back and forth between Colorado and California on chartered flights that he probably got to in limousines, which is significantly less troublesome than the stinky taxi, not-enough-room, always-running-behind flights you and I would experience.
Secondly, he has a crack legal team that’s making every effort to give him a stellar defense that, so far, has helped create a timeline that doesn’t seem to include a trial date in the next six months. Certainly, sitting in court while counsel discusses the need for DNA evidence from two potential former lovers of the alleged victim is less stressful than facing a jury of folks who can send you to prison for a long time.
Thirdly, lest we forget, he’s playing basketball. Kobe isn’t rushing back to L.A. for sensitive surgery on a critically ill 12-year-old. He’s throwing a round ball through a hoop, which is a lot like a non-professional athlete hitting the heavy bag or going for a long run after a tough day at the office. Plus, he’s on the court with at least three future Hall of Fame teammates.
Finally, his wife is standing behind him despite the fact that, at the very least, he did, in fact, cheat on her, creating a situation in which everyone in the world knows he was unfaithful. But there she is (looking completely stunning, no less) with a congratulatory hug and kiss after the game.
Sure, what he’s doing isn’t easy. But the myth that Kobe is a superhuman individual worthy of admiration and adulation is preposterous. There are thousands of people facing infinitely more difficult situations every day. The single mother of two who lost her job to downsizing, but still reads to the kids at bedtime. The officer who hasn’t seen his daughter for six months, but still manages to lead his men. Or the public defender who has more lives in his hands than hours in the day.
These are the people who manage great achievements. And these are the folks truely worthy of our praise. But they’ll likely never see it.