Episode 12: The Gospel of FIreworks, Water Parks, and My Personal Crusade Against Participation Trophies

The Mediocrates Podcast

I hope you had a great 4th of July weekend. If you happen to be British, sorry about all that, bros. I'm glad we are friends now. Tonight, we recap my family trip to Tennessee to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and neighboring Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville (soon to be home to the largest Buc-ee's EVER!). I'm also inviting you to join my personal crusade against participation trophies. In fact, I encourage you to read Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut for a bit of dystopian (aka now) perspective. While I'm asking you for things, why not go ahead and smash that Subscribe/Follow button. Take a minute to share this show with someone you think might enjoy it, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd rate and review the show. Your feedback only costs time and effort, but it really helps the show to connect to new listeners, and it gives me ways I can make the show better for listeners like you. Thanks! Something New: When you're in a tourist mecca, why not go to a water park. Lots of fun there, plus being in the mountains is always a great way to escape the blistering southern summer. I'm also a huge fan of fireworks, and I must have seen thousands of dollars go up in smoke during the weekend. Sorry to all the doggos who aren't fans. I know ours wasn't super happy, but we kept her distracted. Mind of Mediocrates: I hate participation trophies. I'm encouraging coaches and parents to do away with them and work harder not to diminish the achievements of the top performers, nor leave out the developing participants. My strategy involves more individual goals, which means getting in the mud with the kids you're mentoring and coaching, but the benefits far exceed the investment. I'll tie this in to the struggles we all face in the real world, whether at work, at home, or Wal-Mart. We all face challenges, but facing them with fortitude and courage, especially when we are vulnerable enough to share our struggles with friends (and do the same for them), we find that we can make it through. Then, like Mark, the author of the earliest Christian Gospel (and the only one to call itself a Gospel), we can find ways to give back to others through sharing of our stories. Something Old: I miss my grandparents. The stories and the life lessons were always worth the time, and I know my grandparents loved me. I miss them every day, and I ask them to pray for me. Contact the Show: Hit me up on Twitter @MediocratesPod. Email me at [e-mail]. You can even leave a voice message at https://anchor.fm/mediocrates. I read/listen to every one of them - even the weird ones. I appreciate your feedback. Because of your suggestions and comments, I've been able to get my audio in a really good spot. I'm looking forward to doing more things, including interviews, very soon. Keep that feedback rolling in. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediocrates/message