Man Verses Nature

Conflict theorists such as Karl Marx see much of life, especially interaction, as a competition. Economically, politically and athletically it certainly holds true with no explanation necessary. Socially, we may attempt to ignore or deny class and lifestyle competition, but we know they thrive. In our culture competition is not threatened or endangered and indisputably does not hang in the balance of extinction.

A movement has made headway in recent years to remove the competitive aspect from sports and other activities for young children. However, few complain about competition in professional sports and a range of other events. These include things from the commonplace like beauty pageants (I added this one intentionally) to the absurd such as eating Madagascar roaches. Last year, Shannan and I witnessed young girls in a pumpkin pie eating contest. What a hoot!

Still some want more, so we compete against nature. Reality TV has survival guru, Bear Grylls, tests his MacGyver-like skills verses worst case scenarios in the most inhospitable places on Earth. Adam Richman pits his stomach in obscene battles against massive amounts of food. Surprisingly, both men win more than they lose.

I, like many, am in an epic battle where I know there are battles to be won, but the overall war is a beyond my means. My quest for good health has the enemies of pizza, bacon, potato chips, peanuts and donuts, some of the most tasty, yet unhealthy stuff on Earth. Isn’t it odd that many of the good things to eat are high in both calories and in fat?

As an adult man I come to the game with a host of natural competitors such as hair loss, beer bellies, double chins, decreased sex drive and an onslaught of disease. Add to that my genetic code is riddled with cancer, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Those are my natural foes. Years ago I succumbed to the loss of hair, but through The Streak I have kept one chin, managed my gut, have low blood pressure and relative healthy metabolism. I don’t have a goal of living forever, but I do go head to head with nature each day in a competition to live well.

A body in motion tends to stay in motion.

Tom