Most sports fans know that one of the saddest things you can ever witness is a great champion not knowing when it’s time to step aside.<\/p>\n
Not many athletes step aside at the top of their game. The yearly intrigue of whether certain players will retire has almost become a punch line in some circles.<\/p>\n
Yeah, I’m looking at you Brett Favre.<\/p>\n
But these situations don’t always apply to the monied stars we see on television. Sometimes the guy who hangs around too long only lives in some niche universe where only a handful of fans understand the dilemma.<\/p>\n
Then there are those who face this dilemma inside themselves. They only disappoint an audience of one when they can’t compete at the level they are accustomed to.<\/p>\n
That’s how I felt one day last week on my family’s annual beach vacation. I realized that I might not have the chops to take on the kind of waves I used to in my younger days.<\/p>\n
I could blame it on the muscle I pulled in my back at the beginning of the week, but since that injury came from mysterious circumstances \u2013 the long car ride is the main culprit \u2013 I don’t really have a macho excuse to fall back on.<\/p>\n
I made it through the first few days without a problem. When I headed out to the beach on Wednesday, things looked a little different.<\/p>\n
A shelf of sorts had formed where the waves ended. Heavy surf pounded forward with a brutal riptide, daring people to get in and test their skills.<\/p>\n
Stupidly, I followed some of the younger folks in my family out to see how bad it really was. About five minutes later, I managed to drag myself back to shore, breathing more heavily that I can remember for a long time and feeling like I had just enrolled in one of those fitness boot camp things.<\/p>\n
The reality is, I didn’t do that much out there. I didn’t body surf at all. I merely tried to duck under one huge wave after another as they crashed down on us. I barely had time to catch my breath a few times as another surge headed toward me.<\/p>\n
As I slogged back toward the shelf, I realized that almost everyone who had headed out before me stayed out. They weren’t having an easy time of it, but they hadn’t given up. I didn’t think I was about to drown or anything, I just needed to go back and read my book like a reasonable adult.<\/p>\n
That’s where I fit into the scheme of things now, I guess. I went out in the afternoon when things had calmed down, but I stood at the edge and watched while my nieces and nephews dodged those big waves in the morning.<\/p>\n
I didn’t like admitting to myself that I had to retire myself from the really big waves, but I know it’s the best thing for everyone involved. I just wish I had realized it sooner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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