Perspective in the D

Perspective. Changing this one little word can change your outlook on different situations, even on life itself. I mean, who hasn’t heard the “glass half empty or half full” saying? So here I am again, my next piece on relating life to the D. This time, I offer some insight on how I’ve come to see how perspective plays such a big role in life, and also in, ya you guessed it, looking at my city of Detroit. I last wrote at the end of my first year of law school on acceptance. Well, being a little over halfway through law school now, much has happened, both to me as well as to my city.

“We are what we believe we are.”

First, I take you back to our Tigers, when there wasn’t snow on the ground. Our boys made it all the way to the World Series. For me, I wanted our guys to take the championship not only for our city and for our fans, but for the one and only Mr. Mike Illitch who has put so much into improving Detroit. Now, taking this in different perspectives, one could be upset that we didn’t win; that even after the ridiculous amount of money we paid to get the superstars we have on our team now, we didn’t win… Or you could have a different perspective. Look how far our guys made it, look who we have coming back next year, and look how much we loved watching our boys play all the way into October. Before we know it, the snow will be gone (hopefully), and we’ll hear the crispy cracks of the boys’ bats again. The Detroit Lions, well, no they weren’t in the Super Bowl, no they didn’t have the greatest season, but hey, perspective people. We didn’t have another 0-16 season… There’s always next year.

And now, the surprise that many (including myself) probably didn’t think would happen: The ending of the NHL Lockout. The return of my Red Wings. Albeit a partial season, but a season nonetheless. I won’t lie to you, I despised all the nonsense that went on throughout the negotiations, the failed agreements, the months with no hockey. But, take this in perspective. I expected no season, expected no visits to the Joe, no mornings spent reading articles about the Wings, no evenings planned around their games. But then, as I woke up early one morning, I saw the Facebook posts of excitement. Could it be?! Is this Christmas morning?! Yes, yes it was. Hockey was back. For perspective’s sake, thinking there would be no season and then this? Well, I am a happy Wings fan, and I’m grateful we get the partial season ahead of us, even though the ice seems a little less, well, Perfect, lacking a certain #5 out there. Putting on Hank’s jersey and heading down to the Joe for their first home game with my #teamponcho KP was a mini dream come true. It wasn’t even $9 beer night, it was $4.50 beer night! A tv interview, Jumbotron appearance with glow sticks, and a goal by Franzen completed our night. We may not have won but HOCKEY IS STILL BACK. Perspective, people. Don’t count our Wings out just yet. So here’s to you and your boys in the red sweaters, Babcock, bring us into the playoffs for the 22^nd year in a row.

“What defines us is how well we rise after falling.”

I was recently downtown for the Auto Show. This year was a big year, especially because Rich (aka my father) has been working on the new Stingray. That is one BEAUTIFUL piece of American machinery and power. The entire setup for it, the crowds surrounding the car, and the media attention Corvette has gotten is great for Detroit. Another big year for an American car company, with the Cadillac ATS adding to it by receiving Car of the Year. Last year the Camaro ZL1 got big attention, before that the Volt, and before that the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. Year after year of American cars being commended at the Auto Show. Hey, you all remember when the Big Three were failing? Bail-out city? Perspective. Look at them now.

“A certain darkness is needed to see the stars.”

We must also be conscious of what we focus on. Relating that to the D, when you go downtown, do you look at the abandoned home on the side of the street? The deserted building with its blown-out windows right off the freeway? Or do you see the new stores and restaurants that went up around the holidays? The way the Ren Cen lights up the skyline each and every night? The crowds of people walking the streets whenever there’s a game downtown? If we focus our perspective on every negative feature in our life, odds are it will remain as dismal as the abandoned buildings downtown. You have to look and see the progress the city has made. For instance, check this site out on the Detroit Works Project, its pretty swell: http://detroitworksproject.com/.  Maybe it’s still not your Chicago, or your Boston, or your NYC. But each year Detroit gets better, gets brighter. We can all see that with the right perspective.

“Through your window, that’s one way to see the world, step outside and look back into

Look and listen, and you decide what to believe, shine your light while you got one”

So the next couple parts are a bit unrelated to Detroit, but hey, there is a life outside my city too. I begin first with, not surprisingly, Crossfit. I recently hit my one-year anniversary of starting at Spartan on the day I competed at PCF’s Yeti Competition. Our Spartans had quite a showing on that day. We had not one, not two, but FIVE, yes FIVE people from our box on podiums at competitions around the area. Dan, Trish, and Brandon all placing at the Yeti, Josh dominating at Joust, and Nate placing at his home box. Now before I give them the recognition they deserve, let me take you quickly back before all these comps were done… Frustrated. Defeated. Unaccomplished. Weak. Never good enough. Yes, these were the thoughts going through my head. Not the most pleasant mindset to have. I had gotten two PRs that day in snatch and clean & jerk, but that was all in the shadow of everyone in my division. Heavy weight has always been where I hop right on the struggle bus. But I regrouped, and was set on going as hard as I could in the other two WODs to redeem myself. No matter, still no final WOD for this girl. All I wanted at that time was a driving range to clear my head; golf has always been the one thing I could turn to, no matter what was bothering me. Given that wasn’t an option and as difficult as it was at the time, I pushed those negative thoughts aside; this was no time to be that way, there were other Spartans kicking ass that day, this was their time, and supporting our #tribe is what we do. With the other Spartans who showed up to cheer us all on (you guys are awesome), Trish powered through that sled push, Brandon killed it in his first competition, and Dan pulled off a win. At Joust, we saw Josh annihilating the competition.  A casual 1000-pt win in the final WOD and 1^st place was his, a great win for Fronz to ride into the Open with. Then at dinner, we see Nate on the podium, placing at his own comp. Quite the day, so proud of everyone. But as I got back to my apartment, those thoughts from earlier came right back. Rather than fight them off, I went to bed early, just wanted the day to be done, Sunday would be a new day.

And that’s where perspective came in. One year ago, there were plenty of things I couldn’t do, plenty of weights I couldn’t lift, plenty of WODs I couldn’t go RX in. Psh, the first day my Marie and I went in to the old box, we didn’t even workout. I’m pretty sure we were too nervous at the time, had to mentally prepare for what we were getting ourselves into (plus Bieber wasn’t on). But we all have to step back and change our perspective sometimes in order to see how far we’ve come. Ya, if you go and compare yourself to the best of the best, odds are you might feel inadequate, which I’ll admit, I do much much much too often, whether its in golf, school, relationships, or, now, in Crossfit. But I’ve never been a quitter, so I’ll keep on keepin’ on, working as hard as I can to push myself as far as I can, reminding myself of where I am today versus where I was a year ago. So girls with your makeup on at the gym, keep doing your elliptical while reading a magazine, and guys keep doing your bicep curls. I’ll be at our box, with our loud music, with all of our #tribe pushing themselves more each day, and most importantly, watching and cheering on as our Spartans make it to Regionals. 

“Stars shine down from the black, and we’re picking thru this broken glass

Well how could we know that our lives would be so full of beautifully broken things”

Perspective becomes difficult when you know of times where everything was working out, everything seems to be going well, and then, as life goes, things change. Its tough because we often go directly back to remembering how times were, wishing for when life was easier, happier, simpler. I now take you back to the summer. Who doesn’t love summer? The season in itself is a happier time in this state. Michigan I love you, and I love skiing, but BRRRRRR. I can do nothing but describe it as the few months I pretended to live the life of a professional athlete. After some management changes and disagreements at the golf course, I quit my job. This was a huge deal for me because I am no quitter, and I loved the members and staff at Northville. But misery at work is no picnic. So I ended my time at the course, and moved myself up to EL for the summer. And man, a great summer it was. My daily routine consisted of waking up with my Starbucks, sometimes a good run with my Jaime, going to the golf course to practice for a few hours, heading to the pool to layout for Suntipede all day, then spending hours at Crossfit with everyone. Then I’d wake up the next day, and do it all again. Throw in a vacation here and there, and that was my summer. My schedule revolved around my golf tournaments, even having the opportunity to play in the Women’s US Open Qualifier. Life was good. And then, well… it wasn’t. All in one fell swoop, the summer came to an abrupt end. Law school began again, work started, my tournaments were done, no more lazy summer nights spent at Spartan, no more giggling roommate Marie, no more time for golf practice, no more laying out in the sun for Suntipede. Too many things had changed too quickly. And with my perspective focused on how they were, the fall was not a good time. But when you’re down, the kind words of others are sometimes what pull you out of the pit you’ve thrown yourself into. We’ve all been down there, and we have those closest to us that help pull us out.

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”

We’ve all been in situations where you only focus on the good things and try to block out anything that may indicate otherwise. We hear and see what we want to hear and see. That’s where input from others that can clear up your perspective is sometimes a blessing in disguise. I am lucky to have people like this there for me, to bring me out of that pit I sometimes throw myself into. In the fall, thanks to them, I could change my perspective on things once again. Life wasn’t that bad. Sure it wasn’t the flawless summer I had, but eh, life is never a walk in the park, it’s hard. Anyone who pretends otherwise, well, you’re dumb. Everyone has their own struggles in life they have to find a way to overcome, and that can be accomplished by approaching them with the right perspective. I’m not always your happy-go-lucky ball of positivity. Sarcasm is a favorite language of mine, and sometimes, yes, I enjoy being cynical. I can laugh and smile too people, don’t get me wrong. But all I will say is this… Look back and remember times in your life that you loved. Be thankful they happened. Be thankful for what you experienced. Be thankful for what you learned from them. Be thankful for who was brought into your life and everything they’ve given you. And always be ready for what life has in store for you next. You never know when your perspective on things can change again.

“What we see depends on what we’re looking for.”

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Keep the proper perspective in all that you do, one that doesn’t let you shy away from the positives, but also one that keeps your eyes open to everything going on in your life. Marie, my fellow Spartan Crossfitter, once wrote that “happiness is derived from the way you see your own life; it depends on your thoughts, not on what you have or what you do not have.” And perspective doesn’t just play a role in the deep rambling life thoughts I write, but it plays a role in how you view my city of Detroit too. Look at it with an open mind and see the beauty that is sometimes hidden within its streets. Detroit, keep hustlin’. I see the improvements you’re making, slowly but surely, and we’ll see what life has in store for you next, as well what it has in store for each and every one of us.