BIG UGLIES AS A METAPHOR FOR LIFE SUCCESS

The Basin underwent three heartbreaking losses this weekend. The first was when my Saturday morning golf game was rained out (aborted after 9 very wet ones). Other than the limits of even GoreTex, I didn't learn much from that. Just an Act of God. That's life and it's probably see ya next year for the golf course.

The other two were the beloved Arkansas Razorbacks and Chicago Bears. There were heroics and spectaculars in each case. Looking at it as objectively as a Piggie/Bear fan can, it must be admitted in each case the difference was the collection of anonymous grunts in the Defensive and Offensive Lines. Piggies and Bears were both quite good but the Tigers/War Iggles and Vikings were better longer. The Vikings Big Uglies were just crisper and wanted it more. The Auburn Line, both ways, was a little deeper and, thus, had more stamina. When the piggies reached back for just that one, last vital stop, it wasn't there.

It was, in the end, kind of like life. Your skilled people can flash and dash. If your front line people, the people who allow it all to happen (secretaries, paralegals, financial clerks, scrub techs, IT propellerheads, LPN's) don't perform to a high level on every play, you won't win.

Oh, sure, there's always the proverbial five turnover game where somebody gains 100 yards in total offense to the other team's 300 and wins 17-14. A team with underperforming Big Uglies will shoplift a game once in awhile. Day in, day out, though, whoever constitutes your business or profession's Big Uglies better be both good and motivated or you won't succeed in the long run. (BTW, for you literalists, not all professions' Big Uglies are big or ugly.)

Insight often comes through suffering.