Turn at the Top

Growing up, probably my biggest passion was baseball. As much as I loved its history and pouring over the endless statistics of pat and present players, even more so I loved playing the game. I played little league baseball throughout my youth right up into my high school years. Without embarrassment or exaggeration, I can say I was among the best - if not the best - player in the various leagues in which I played. What made me as good as I was at the time was, in large part, my level of coordination and overall physical majority. I was bigger than most of my peers and therefore more developed than the majority of those with whom I played and competed.         

My top dog status on the field did not last forever, however. Looking back, it was around the time I turned 15 or 16 years of age when others began matching my skills and, in a number of cases, surpassing me on the field. The reason for this was simple: they begin catching up with my physical development. As a result, I was no longer the most coordinated or strongest one of the lot. My so-called reign was over. Others took my place in the spotlight. I was no longer the acknowledged "man" "on the field. Thinking back to that part of my history, one of my lessons very much relates to cycles in communication.    

There are times in all of our lives when various people or organizations of some sort seem to dominate those around them. Then, at the same, there are nearly as many folks who at some point lose their dominant position. To me, this illustrates the reality that nothing lasts forever. Those in-charge and who have, accordingly, the top rung on the ladder inevitably lose that position. Others take over. For a while their voice may be the dominate one, but at some point that changes. This is one reason why those who do dominate should be respectful of others and be generous with their so-called spotlight. At the same time, those not in the spotlight should take heart and continue striving to be the best communicators they can. In all likelihood, they will have their turn being heard the most.