The True Finish Line: Reflections on Honesty and Life's Goals

Dear Friends,

I read an article titled “The Honesty of the Long-Distance Runner,” published in El País, a well-known Spanish newspaper (Feb 24, 2013).

In a 2012 cross-country race, Spanish runner Iván Fernández Anaya showed great sportsmanship when Kenyan athlete Abel Mutai, who was leading, stopped 10 meters before the finish line, thinking he had already won. Instead of taking advantage of Mutai's mistake, Fernández Anaya helped him cross the line first. Even though his coach said he missed a chance to win, Fernández Anaya believed that honesty was more important than winning, especially in today's world, where people often take shortcuts in sports and life.

This incident can teach multiple lessons to all of us. Who is the real winner? The current society is divided! I believe Anaya is the winner, though he does not own the medal. Contemporary society emphasizes medals but does not credit the process or the people in the background who helped. Anaya’s coach, Fiz, says his students' actions give him credit in human terms if not athletic. The gesture has made him a better person but not a better athlete. He has wasted an occasion. Maybe he is partly right. But Anaya's dilemma on the ground, which is in a fraction of a second, must be different. The deep ethic in his nature did not allow him to take that medal as he is not a technical winner.

As it is a sport, the finish line syndrome (hook or crook reaching it) is still reasonably accepted. However, do you think it is applicable in real life? The finish line concept has been worrying. Getting 1st or 2nd rank in the class is the ultimate goal. Whether it is a genuine effort or a beg/borrow/steal process, less is discussed. The same is reflected in getting jobs, marriage, job growth, and legacy continued with children. Selfishness is important; otherwise, we would not grow. Having said that, the percentage matters. 10, 20, 30 is acceptable. Beyond that, it does not make sense.

However, many of us are running today without knowing the finish line. In the first ten years of life (1 to 10), the finish line is whether we can talk, walk, and chalk. In the next ten years of life (11 to 20), the college, acknowledge, and pledge is the finish line. In the next ten years (21 to 30), the finish line is career, dear (marriage), and sincere (solo to teamwork starts from here). In the next ten years (31 to 40), family, stability, and responsibility. In the next ten years (41 to 50), fitness, growth, and children’s flow and glow (we should start defocusing our glow).

In the next ten years (51 to 60), well-being, stability, and children’s settlement. In the next ten years (61 to 70), wisdom, peace, and contentment. At this point in age, health/wealth is God’s discretion. It is sanctioned by God regardless of our sincere efforts as the body’s movement is in deceleration mode. Every day is a bonus! The rest is for grace, serenity, and cherished legacy. Deviating from these God-defined finish lines results in misery, discontentment, and guilt during the last breath.

A couple of days ago, one of my childhood classmates abruptly left his body. It pained me a bit but also reminded me of my finish lines. I crossed my 5th finish line (5/7) and checked my score. I might have passed the line, but I was never perfect at every finish line. I used to have a specific aspiration at every age and stage, but I ended up differently. I believed in destiny and accepted failure or success every time it came. I'm looking forward to checking how much percentage I will succeed in the last but one finish line (6/7)!

Will honesty pay the long-distance life runner? The last breath answers!

Note: These are my personal views.

Ravi Saripalle

Source: El País