When I was a child, I saw trophies and was impressed. I thought there was some kind of official authority that certified the trophies and ensured that only worthy people received them. Then one day I drove past a trophy store and learned the truth. Anyone can buy custom trophies or custom plaques and have anything they want engraved on them. I was disappointed but, really no less impressed by a tall, gold trophy, especially if it is topped by a winged creature.
But the importance of a trophy goes beyond the look of it in a case. To see how a trophy can affect someone’s life, let’s look at the life of Joe. When Joe was a youngster, he lived an outdoor life in a small town in Upper Michigan. He tramped the woods with his cousin. They hunted and fished and helped out on the uncle’s farm. They playedbasketball and other sports in their small-town high school.
World War II changed his life, giving him the opportunity to attend college and start a career in the big city. Life in the suburbs was sedate compared to life in the woods. Exercise could have consisted of the weekly lawn mowing, and he could have gotten soft and lazy at a young age and had an early heart attack. Instead, he signed up for his company’s recreation association and became involved in sports. This association was very competitive and awarded trophies to the winners. This opportunity to win trophies got his blood rushing. He rediscovered his sportsmanship and excelled in every sport he tried out for. Soon, the trophiesstarted coming in. He collected trophies in basketball, fishing, shooting, bowling, and even decathlon, among other sports. He purchased a special wire shelf, which he hung on the living room wall. His wife didn’t think it fit her elegant dcor, but she was a good sport and vicariously shared his pride in his achievements. His children also shared this pride in their father. It made him a hero in their eyes.
Fifteen hears later when they moved up to a more affluent suburb and a beautiful colonial house, the rack of trophies came with and found a new wall to hang on in the family room. More trophies joined the group as he continued to be active. However, by now the trophies were for less strenuous sports such as golf. But he still wanted to win.
Eventually, he reached an age when younger men began taking home the trophies. The trophies still hung on the wall, and his kids still admired their dad’s skill. When he approached 80, the time came to move into a retirement community. The new apartment wasn’t very big. The wife was ready to redecorate and said the trophies couldn’t go up on the new wall. When the children came to visit, they were crestfallen to see that the trophies that represented so many years of sports excellence were thrown away.
So, even though trophies aren’t awarded by a trophy authority, they are still important symbols in the lives for the people who win them.