Life Isn't Fair...Who Says That?!

After my attention being drawn to a certain article in the Indy Star over the weekend, the response to it was a bit surprising to me. The article was about a young man who has risen above incredible challenges that none of us could ever imagine having nightmares of, and all he wants to do is play football for his senior year. The "problem" is that he is by all technicalities a 5th year senior, which makes him ineligible to play based on the IHSAA regulations. You HAVE to read this article to really wrap your mind around what I'm going to say next.

Meet the Chatard Football Player...

The response that surprises me most is that people have said that although they feel that the ruling is "unfair," they say "life isn't fair." Is that not the BIGGEST cop-out answer our parents ever gave us growing up? I feel like when someone says that, they're basically saying, "sucks to be you," followed by a quick shrug of the shoulders and a turned head. After that, they get back into their BMWs and drive off to their beautiful homes in the best neighborhoods in the city.

Does "life isn't fair" answer this young man's question as to why he's not allowed to play ball this year? Does it even BEGIN to acknowledge the hardship and extraordinary circumstances that surround his situation? This can be applied to so much more than this one situation. What if whenever a law ended up actually causing injustice to someone, our lawmakers simply answered their constituents with a letter that said, "life isn't fair"? How would people react? If this was your child or if some injustice was done to a loved one of yours, would you be satisfied with "life isn't fair"?

This article, to me, is a call to action. It's a cry for help. It's out there to let people know that rules aren't always right, and they don't apply to everyone. "Life isn't fair" isn't an answer; it's an excuse. I challenge you all not to answer anything with "life isn't fair." I challenge you, instead, to find a way to MAKE life fair. This way, even if you fail, at least you made an effort...

Til next time...