IT'S YOUR CHOICE

.  Life is simple, really.  It is about making choices.  One always has a choice in every situation.  A common excuse is, “I had no choice.  I had to eat that tub of ice cream.  My mom told me to always eat whatever is in front of me. And there it was, right in front of me” Or, “You gave me no choice.  I simply had to get a new outfit if we are required to go to that reception.”

 In volleyball a coach makes the choice on who plays and who sits.  It seems like the players have no choice.

Ahhh, but they do.

  They can choose what attitude and tact they are going to take in dealing with a situation.  They can snivel and blame others or they can choose to make the best out of any situation.  Emotion has little to do with it.  One can be very angry and disappointed for not playing or being put in an undesirable role, and yet choose the path of determination and positive attitude to get better.  Even in situations we can’t control, we can control the activities in our mind.  In fact, we must if we are to be happy. 

As Shamus Donagan said, “Life ain’t being dealt good hand but playing a poor one well.”  However, we would like to be dealt a good hand and play that one well.  Control the choices of attitude and you control your happiness.

Perseverance and Persistence: Lessons from the “Flying Bird”

These are two values required for success.  As a coach, I always look for real-life examples of the values required to be successful.  Often times my players and staff will role their eyes, suck in one corner of their mouths and shake their heads communicating, “Ho, boy. Here we go again.”  But, hey, I must perpetuate my distinctive eccentricity.

Anyhoo . . . A local sculptor, Peter Bevis, has become a prime example of P and P.  From 1935 to 1968 a ferryboat named the Kalakala was the icon of Seattle long before the Space Needle.  Its sleek, shiny silver art deco design was one of a kind.  It represented elegance yet performed the necessity of transporting vehicles and people across Puget Sound.  When I was a boy in the 50’s and early 60’s I concocted every strategy possible to get to ride on that magical vessel.  There are countless memories, legends, and innovations, surrounding the Kalakala. 

In 1968 she was sidelined.   After years of ramming docks and other vessels, damaging some and sinking others, and not growing bigger while cars were, she was sold to an Alaskan fish processing company.  The old Seattle symbol was unceremoniously towed to Alaska where she served as a fish processor.  A few years later she blew a piston and was beached, abandoned, semi buried, and stripped of her dignity.  It was a sad ending to a beautiful old lady.

And along came Bevis.

Around 1988 Peter saw the Kalakala in its rusted, dilapidated state.  He immediately recognized it as a desecration; an insult.  His first thought: “She needs to go home.”  When Peter shared his dream with others, they laughed.  “No way!”  It seemed impossible: 276 feet long, three decks high.  She was buried in mud, and land fill, with buildings attached, and fish processing plumbing.  Three decks covered with 7 inches of concrete for stability.  The boat had become a building.  Lots of problems: Securing ownership; cleaning out tons of debris; pulling it back off land; making it minimally seaworthy;  money, real big money; and endless rolls of red tape.   And, after all the preparation, what if it turned into a submarine when it hit the water after 30 years? 

One person’s dream. 

It took Peter 10 years of frustration, mastered by perseverance and persistence.  In June 1998 the Kalakala was freed from its grave by the concerted effort of people, bulldozers and tugboats.  Battered inside and out, her 1930’s elegance but a distant memory, the silver lady floated.  After raising just enough money, overcoming many more bureaucratic challenges, Peter and a growing contingent of passionate believers now organized into the Kalakala Foundation, towed her home behind a sea-going tug. They negotiated the threatening waters of the Gulf of Alaska, through the Inside Passage, for a triumphant return into Seattle’s Elliot Bay basked in the early November sunshine.

Peter Bevis has inspired many people, including me, with his perseverance making possible what seemed impossible.  I joined the foundation to help anyway I can.  The legendary vessel needs to be restored to its former glory.  I have an awesome respect for people who are willing to take great risks to accomplish their dreams.  Real demonstrations of perseverance and persistence are uplifting.  This story is ongoing and the final chapter is yet to be written.  It has been, and will be, an extraordinary story of success. 

It is the attitude I want my staff and players to have.  If we must be completely committed to our dreams and goals and be absolutely willing to persevere, then we can accomplish anything.   The Kalakala  (“Flying Bird” in the Chinook Jargon of the Salish Native American People) is an enduring symbol of the critical values of attaining great dreams.