The Fat Lady Doesn’t Sing

Last week, I scrolled upon a friend and former collegiate athlete’s Instagram picture. The image was of her on the track running in her first race in two years.

Having taken time off for a variety of reasons, she was obviously excited to be back doing what she loved to do. I could tell from this one little snapshot, that my friend had her eyes and her heart on something bigger than her next race.

On her picture, she included the hashtag #idonthearthefatladysinging

I’ve been friends with her since she was in high school. She and her younger brother were in our high school youth group and although we were both kind of quiet people, we usually found a common bond talking about sports. She ran track in college and I could tell through conversations with her post-graduation, she was still in pursuit of a running career. I hadn’t played in years, but the way she spoke about running was palpable.

People like us never really stop playing our sport and we never stop trying to get better, even when some of our best laid plans don’t come to fruition on our own clock.

We are cut from a different cloth.

We practice when no one else is practicing, we believe when no one else believes, we dream when everyone else stops dreaming and when every one else is scratching their heads like “Wow. they did it.”

We are thinking. Of course, we did.

Because we knew all along goals aren’t lofty ideals we aim for “pie in the sky,” they are simply milestones we hit to get to the next stop.

We always have a next stop. Even when we are still or recovering or “retired.”

For us, there is always a next stop.

I double tapped and “liked” her picture and commented:

“The fat lady doesn’t sing for people like us. Go get ’em.”

And I believe that. Even though I’m 40 and I’ve already had what I would consider my sports career, I’m not finished yet.

I’m just setting myself up to get the next milestone.

Because if you’ve played sport at a high level, you play life at a high level too.

And the fat lady doesn’t sing for people like us.

Go get ’em.