I'll Send You My Love On A Wire, Lift You Up, Every Time, Everyone, Ooo, Pulls Away, Ooo, From You
--"Black Sheep", Metric
I routinely watch The Amazing Race. I don't recall exactly during which season I became a fan, but I've been watching for awhile now. It never fails to amaze me how exciting and entertaining each episode manages to be without the artifice that so many other reality shows possess. Usually by the end of the race I'm rooting for one or two teams based on the strength of their personalities and on the strength of their character.
It's true. I don't like watching the teams that do nothing but scream at one another. While it might make for much more dramatic television it bothers me when teams that do nothing but bicker get ahead in the game. It's no fun for me to contemplate we might live in a world which rewards badgering one's friend, relative, or significant other to motivate them. I tend to feel better when there's one or two teams that seem to get along and still maintain a competitive spirit. I'd like to think this would be the kind of team I would field if I were to participate--which I almost did.
The team I like the best this season is a father and daughter team named Gary and Mallory. He's an entrepreneur and she's Miss Kentucky 2009. Yes, there is a bias because ever since I visited that state it's made an impression on me. However, they really are the most wholesome and just positive team on the race. I mean--if you're going to watch a show about teams of two having to endure physical, intellectual, and sometimes interpersonal challenges you need people who are easy to root for. Mallory--well, Mallory is just a hoot and a half, as Lucy would say. She's so peppy and amazingly endearing to everyone, including the other teams. I don't know if she has an ounce of guile or rancor in her. And Gary is patient and soft-spoken. What amazes me most about him is he's fifty-three years old. Yet he's keeping up with men and women half his age. I'm not sure if that has more to do with his hobby of running triathlons and marathons, or if it's more to due with his persistence. The man just doesn't know when to quit or give up. Separately, I'd root for each one of them, but together they're going to be a force to reckon with this season.
hello again, friend of a friend
----
As aforementioned, I once had aspirations to compete in The Amazing Race. My friend Carly and I went so far as to fill out the applications and send them in (at least one of us did). At the time I was excited at the prospect of being able to roam around the world and be on a show that I truly enjoyed. What I was also looking forward to was the idea of getting to know Carly better because, at the time, we'd hung out a couple of times but had never had that test that all good friendships go through, a road trip. In our case it would have been an extended road trip.
At the time I thought she would have made an excellent partner to go adventuring with. Not only is she young and in relatively decent shape, she also possesses that daredevil attitude that every eventual winner on the show seems to have in spades, which is more than I could say for me. As much as the height challenges and possibly the eating challenges might have slowed me down, together I think we would have made for a decent team.
Where I think we might have run into problems would have been the dynamics between us. While relations between us have always been good, I really don't think of Miss Flib as someone who I would trust immediately with my life. I didn't realize it at the time, but that's what basically is the main criteria for choosing a partner for the race. Physical fitness, mental toughness, and a positive attitude all are factors, but what I see now is that choosing a partner should have been a bigger deal to me than it was. Carly's willingness to entertain the idea was the extent of my interview process and I realize now it shouldn't have been the only factor in making my decision. I have no doubt it would be fun to run a race with her, but I'm not so sure by the end if our friendship would have been the better for it. There's a lot I still don't know about her and a lot she still doesn't know about me, which is why I say that trust issue may have interfered a bit with us running a decent race.
Surprisingly, I don't believe I'd want Breanne to be my partner either. I trust her with my life, sure, but there's a lot to be said about what we're like when we get together in person. I know us well enough to know that the pressure of the situation and the way our personalities mesh would cause problems between us. We really only have two speeds, calm and easy or full throttle at each other's throats. I've spent enough time with her to understand the difference. When we're on vacation with each other, when we're visiting with one another, that's calm and easy. That's nice. When we're competing either with each other or against each other, that's full throttle. As sure as I am that our relationship with one another is rock-solid, I'm also sure that it's not always a pretty picture. Competing with her on the race would not make for a pleasant time as much as it might be more memorable for the pairing.
Honestly, I believe the best pairing at this time would be Toby. She's my closest friend after Breanne and, unlike the Georgia native, she and I have always maintained a much more easy approach with one another.
Thinking about it--our biggest disagreement so far has been this nuisance about her isolating herself from the rest of her friends as she begins her college career. But even then it's not like I've been wanting to throttle her or anything. She doesn't cause my venom to rise nor does she stress me out at times.
The content of one's character is often hard to define. It's a huge assortment of values and philosophies that have to be wrangled out of a person's actions. Often times what one says and does gives little indication to what one believes. That's what misunderstandings tend to occur. Misunderstandings do lead to fights. That's why I believe Miss Frisson and I would make a capable team. I'm just not so sure there would be the stress of disagreement that plagues most teams. We tend to see eye to eye with one another and I know she would back me up as I would back her up. And like Breanne, I trust her implicitly.
We might argue, but it wouldn't be game-changing like an argument between B. and I would be. I'm fairly confident the level of disagreement between us would ever rise to a fevered pitch. The most Marion and could muster would be a dull whisper. Like everyone I've mentioned in this post she has a fairly positive attitude. Her catchphrase is "Don't postpone joy," after all. She has the smarts, the athleticism, and the patience to make a willing competitor. Lastly, like Carly, I think I would relish the opportunity to get to know her better. And I know I would definitely love having a story or two that includes me and her together in them.
Who one picks to be their ideal Amazing Race partner might not be up there in terms of importance as one's ideal spouse or one's ideal best friend. However, I think it can tell you just as much about what qualities you value and the kind of company you choose to keep. In my case, I have the luxury of having a person who matches up well with what I believe the race requires out of you and a person who would make the whole experience, well, amazing.
Yours Swimmingly,
mojo shivers
I routinely watch The Amazing Race. I don't recall exactly during which season I became a fan, but I've been watching for awhile now. It never fails to amaze me how exciting and entertaining each episode manages to be without the artifice that so many other reality shows possess. Usually by the end of the race I'm rooting for one or two teams based on the strength of their personalities and on the strength of their character.It's true. I don't like watching the teams that do nothing but scream at one another. While it might make for much more dramatic television it bothers me when teams that do nothing but bicker get ahead in the game. It's no fun for me to contemplate we might live in a world which rewards badgering one's friend, relative, or significant other to motivate them. I tend to feel better when there's one or two teams that seem to get along and still maintain a competitive spirit. I'd like to think this would be the kind of team I would field if I were to participate--which I almost did.
The team I like the best this season is a father and daughter team named Gary and Mallory. He's an entrepreneur and she's Miss Kentucky 2009. Yes, there is a bias because ever since I visited that state it's made an impression on me. However, they really are the most wholesome and just positive team on the race. I mean--if you're going to watch a show about teams of two having to endure physical, intellectual, and sometimes interpersonal challenges you need people who are easy to root for. Mallory--well, Mallory is just a hoot and a half, as Lucy would say. She's so peppy and amazingly endearing to everyone, including the other teams. I don't know if she has an ounce of guile or rancor in her. And Gary is patient and soft-spoken. What amazes me most about him is he's fifty-three years old. Yet he's keeping up with men and women half his age. I'm not sure if that has more to do with his hobby of running triathlons and marathons, or if it's more to due with his persistence. The man just doesn't know when to quit or give up. Separately, I'd root for each one of them, but together they're going to be a force to reckon with this season.
hello again, friend of a friend
----
As aforementioned, I once had aspirations to compete in The Amazing Race. My friend Carly and I went so far as to fill out the applications and send them in (at least one of us did). At the time I was excited at the prospect of being able to roam around the world and be on a show that I truly enjoyed. What I was also looking forward to was the idea of getting to know Carly better because, at the time, we'd hung out a couple of times but had never had that test that all good friendships go through, a road trip. In our case it would have been an extended road trip.
At the time I thought she would have made an excellent partner to go adventuring with. Not only is she young and in relatively decent shape, she also possesses that daredevil attitude that every eventual winner on the show seems to have in spades, which is more than I could say for me. As much as the height challenges and possibly the eating challenges might have slowed me down, together I think we would have made for a decent team.
Where I think we might have run into problems would have been the dynamics between us. While relations between us have always been good, I really don't think of Miss Flib as someone who I would trust immediately with my life. I didn't realize it at the time, but that's what basically is the main criteria for choosing a partner for the race. Physical fitness, mental toughness, and a positive attitude all are factors, but what I see now is that choosing a partner should have been a bigger deal to me than it was. Carly's willingness to entertain the idea was the extent of my interview process and I realize now it shouldn't have been the only factor in making my decision. I have no doubt it would be fun to run a race with her, but I'm not so sure by the end if our friendship would have been the better for it. There's a lot I still don't know about her and a lot she still doesn't know about me, which is why I say that trust issue may have interfered a bit with us running a decent race.
Surprisingly, I don't believe I'd want Breanne to be my partner either. I trust her with my life, sure, but there's a lot to be said about what we're like when we get together in person. I know us well enough to know that the pressure of the situation and the way our personalities mesh would cause problems between us. We really only have two speeds, calm and easy or full throttle at each other's throats. I've spent enough time with her to understand the difference. When we're on vacation with each other, when we're visiting with one another, that's calm and easy. That's nice. When we're competing either with each other or against each other, that's full throttle. As sure as I am that our relationship with one another is rock-solid, I'm also sure that it's not always a pretty picture. Competing with her on the race would not make for a pleasant time as much as it might be more memorable for the pairing.
Honestly, I believe the best pairing at this time would be Toby. She's my closest friend after Breanne and, unlike the Georgia native, she and I have always maintained a much more easy approach with one another.
Thinking about it--our biggest disagreement so far has been this nuisance about her isolating herself from the rest of her friends as she begins her college career. But even then it's not like I've been wanting to throttle her or anything. She doesn't cause my venom to rise nor does she stress me out at times.
The content of one's character is often hard to define. It's a huge assortment of values and philosophies that have to be wrangled out of a person's actions. Often times what one says and does gives little indication to what one believes. That's what misunderstandings tend to occur. Misunderstandings do lead to fights. That's why I believe Miss Frisson and I would make a capable team. I'm just not so sure there would be the stress of disagreement that plagues most teams. We tend to see eye to eye with one another and I know she would back me up as I would back her up. And like Breanne, I trust her implicitly.
We might argue, but it wouldn't be game-changing like an argument between B. and I would be. I'm fairly confident the level of disagreement between us would ever rise to a fevered pitch. The most Marion and could muster would be a dull whisper. Like everyone I've mentioned in this post she has a fairly positive attitude. Her catchphrase is "Don't postpone joy," after all. She has the smarts, the athleticism, and the patience to make a willing competitor. Lastly, like Carly, I think I would relish the opportunity to get to know her better. And I know I would definitely love having a story or two that includes me and her together in them.
Who one picks to be their ideal Amazing Race partner might not be up there in terms of importance as one's ideal spouse or one's ideal best friend. However, I think it can tell you just as much about what qualities you value and the kind of company you choose to keep. In my case, I have the luxury of having a person who matches up well with what I believe the race requires out of you and a person who would make the whole experience, well, amazing.
Yours Swimmingly,
mojo shivers
Labels: Carly, Character, Metric, Stress, The Amazing Race, Toby, trust
posted by mojo shivers @ 5:10 AM
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