Johnny Peaceseed: Commentaries - A Lesson on Badminton and Enemies Contact Johnny Peaceseed Commentaries Poetry Daily Archives Links to Great Web Sites Johnny's Heroes Boycott These Products Quotes for the Revolution - Free Seeds of Peace... Buttons 1 Buttons 2 Buttons 3 Flyers Posters June 3, 2003 A Lesson on Badminton and Enemies When my two boys were just wee lads I tried to instruct them in the ancient game of badminton. The boys were ages eight and ten and no matter how much I tried to teach them the subtleties of the game, they insisted on smashing with wild abandon every shuttlecock that was hit to them. Their serves were meant to decapitate rather than score a point. The result was that a game consisted of each son blasting the shuttlecock wildly into or over the net and out of reach of the opponent. After a few moments they both would tire of the sport and run off to other pursuits. It occurred to me that what was needed was a subtle rule change. Instead of a point being scored when your opponent was unable to return a shot, the new rule stated that a point was scored BY THE OPPONENT when YOU hit a shot that THEY could not return. The game shifted from one where competition was the primary goal to one of cooperation. Although competition was not eliminated, it was channeled such that, to win, you had to make your opponent improve. To make a long story short, the boys game quickly advanced, as did their interest. I excitedly explained the new rule to Mrs. Peaceseed, an avid enthusiast of the game, and she consented to try it. What emerged was a transformation of our game from one of opponents battling for dominance to one of a more Zen nature. As we improved our ability to accurately return shots to each other, we found our focus intensifying, the shuttlecock flying back and forth at ever increasing speed from racket to racket, a dance of stroke and motion. Soon, there became no time to think, to plan, to strategize. The mission was to keep the shuttlecock snapping back and forth in a straight trajectory, as if on a rubber band. We went from volleys of a few seconds to ones of a minute or more. When Mrs. Peaceseed or I finally missed a shot we were both disappointed. For those moments, we had become the shuttlecock. You might ask "What does all this have to do with Johnny Peaceseed’s mission"" Well, dear reader, just this. The synergies and advantages gained from working to make our "enemies" "better" and helping them when they are in need, could have a much more beneficial effect than all the bombs we drop on them to correct their deficiencies. Johnny Peaceseed -See Commentaries for previous commentaries.

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Commentary

Free Seeds of Peace...

A Lesson on Badminton and Enemies

When my two boys were just wee lads I tried to instruct them in the ancient game of badminton. The boys were ages eight and ten and no matter how much I tried to teach them the subtleties of the game, they insisted on smashing with wild abandon every shuttlecock that was hit to them. Their serves were meant to decapitate rather than score a point. The result was that a game consisted of each son blasting the shuttlecock wildly into or over the net and out of reach of the opponent. After a few moments they both would tire of the sport and run off to other pursuits. It occurred to me that what was needed was a subtle rule change. Instead of a point being scored when your opponent was unable to return a shot, the new rule stated that a point was scored BY THE OPPONENT when YOU hit a shot that THEY could not return.

The game shifted from one where competition was the primary goal to one of cooperation. Although competition was not eliminated, it was channeled such that, to win, you had to make your opponent improve. To make a long story short, the boys game quickly advanced, as did their interest.

I excitedly explained the new rule to Mrs. Peaceseed, an avid enthusiast of the game, and she consented to try it. What emerged was a transformation of our game from one of opponents battling for dominance to one of a more Zen nature. As we improved our ability to accurately return shots to each other, we found our focus intensifying, the shuttlecock flying back and forth at ever increasing speed from racket to racket, a dance of stroke and motion. Soon, there became no time to think, to plan, to strategize. The mission was to keep the shuttlecock snapping back and forth in a straight trajectory, as if on a rubber band. We went from volleys of a few seconds to ones of a minute or more. When Mrs. Peaceseed or I finally missed a shot we were both disappointed. For those moments, we had become the shuttlecock.

You might ask "What does all this have to do with Johnny Peaceseed’s mission"" Well, dear reader, just this. The synergies and advantages gained from working to make our “enemies” “better” and helping them when they are in need, could have a much more beneficial effect than all the bombs we drop on them to correct their deficiencies.

Johnny Peaceseed

See Commentaries for previous commentaries.