About 13 years ago, I ran my first 100-meter dash. It was at a sports-fest in school. Nothing big, just me against some other 3rd graders. At the starting line, our team leaders, who were high schoolers, were telling me to run as fast as I can (duh). Everyone around was screaming their team’s cheers. And then one of those race guns go off.
I ran as fast as I could and was first to the finish line. However, I was disqualified because I swerved three lines to my right before swerving back to my lane at the finish line. I don’t remember why I did that, but I do remember how I disappointed I was at myself afterwards.
But then one of my teachers comes to me at the finish line. She says, “Good job, Jam! Your dad was watching from the bleachers. He was so proud of you!” To this day, this is Top 5 one of the best compliments I’ve ever received.
I was always the “smart” one in class. I don’t say this to brag; I was just good at taking tests. Naturally, parents and my other classmates would commend me for my “talents” and call me smart and “magaling.” It was all nice and pleasant, until it wasn’t. You see, all the recognition had built a lot of expectations over the years until eventually, there was pressure to be at the top of the class every year. And as a result, every recognition of how “smart” I was was a reminder of this pressure. And at some point, it all became expected, like I was supposed to receive that compliment, I was supposed to be the smart one.
But every so often, the unexpected recognition comes along. In these moments, there is no pressure, no expectations, just recognition. And for a full day, that day 13 years ago, I was no longer the smart kid. I was the fast kid. As an 8 year-old, that meant more to me than any medal at the end of the year. Why? It was proof that we’re not stuck with what was seemingly decided for us. We’re not constrained to our label because our worth and potential goes way beyond what we’re known for. And we’re not limited to any talent, field, or expertise.
We’ve all felt stuck and trapped at some point in our lives. And we all know some other people who are in the same lonely place. Sometimes, all it takes is unexpected recognition.