Poly Hockey is by far Special Olympics New Mexico’s favorite team sport to watch. Watching our athletes play is as much fun as it is mesmerizing. The athletes love it so much and the rest of us can’t help but follow suit. We absolutely LOVE poly hockey. I could go on and on about this year’s State Championships. My thoughts today aren’t about what happened in the rinks a couple weeks ago, but what happened after the competition- at the Victory Dance.
A young man walked to the table where I was sitting, music blaring around us, and I could tell by the look on his face he had something to say to me. I had not noticed this athlete before- dark hair, high cheek bones- he was a good looking young man. When he spoke his first words to me, he struggled badly to say them. My immediate thought- cerebral palsy. I failed miserably at understanding him until finally, he took out his cell phone and started to text.
“How does Special Olympics raise money?”
“Can I do an online fundraiser?”
“Can Special Olympics help the homeless?”
“Can I compete and volunteer at Summer Games?”
“Can Special Olympics offer yoga?”
When I left the dance that night I couldn’t help but think about that athlete and his questions. Here are my thoughts. Sometimes, we get so focused on serving others – we forget that those whom we serve may also have the desire to do the same for others. Our athletes may struggle to articulate their desires to serve or even find ways or opportunities to do it, but truth be told, helping others brings value to everyone. Serving brings greater meaning to our lives.
I left the Poly Hockey dance committed to finding a place for that young man to help us, and I remain grateful to him for helping me see what would have never been a thought in my mind otherwise.
Thoughts From Randy 