Manchester High School - Somanhis Yearbook (Manchester, CT)

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SOMANHIS EVENTS 31 A person should put his best into life at all times, but when the time of fail- ure comes, and it does come to everyone, it is not the time to quit; it is the time to spur oneself on to work to the very height of his ability, both men- tally and physically. The following verse brings out the attitude one should hold toward failure: “What is a failure? It’s only a spur ‘Yo a man who receives it right, And it makes the spirit within him stir ‘To go in once more and fight. If you never have failed, it’s an even guess You never have won a high success.” Furthermore, many people who fear censure find a reasonless excuse for failure instead of accepting it. The “Good Sport” never resorts to this meth- od, for it takes away a man’s chance to try, and makes quitting easy. There is often a way to gain fame at the expense of someone else, but this is never done by the “Good Sport” who realizes that the only things worth while in this world are those which are earned. A person can often get by without doing his share, but if he does, the bigger things in life slip by him, for nothing worth while comes to us without effort—the effort of work. Science teaches us that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. If certain amounts of different substances are put into chemical action, the same amounts of those substances will remain after the action ceases, al- though in a different form. Thus, when we put hard work into our tasks, we get the same amount of work in return, only it is in the form of success. lf these laws of sportsmanship are carried out, we shall find that we have an entirely different outlook upon life than we have ever had before, if we have not tried to live up to these ideas. We do not think that just because someone or something is working against us that it is impossible to succeed. Instead, we learn that there is always an opposing force such as temptation, idleness, dishonesty, quitting, et cetera, which must be faced squarely, op- enly, and entirely wiped out of our lives. The “Good Sport” understands that not everyone can be a star, and so does not try to uphold a position in life above his ability, merely for show, but puts his best into his job. He knows that failure is part of the game and never becomes discouraged by it, for he realizes that there would be no joy in winning if he had never tasted defeat. Thus, he does not permit either success or failure to ruin him, for he knows that whether he has met with success or failure, he has learned something from his effort that will help him to succeed later. Thus the “Good Sport” wins his successes from his own hard work. Although he realizes that everyone is helped at times, he does not have to be pulled through life, but stands on his own feet, ready to get up again every time he falls down. He is ready to make good where success seems impossible, and is always ready to help another, less fortunate than he. The genuine “Gocd Sport” stands out among his associates for his good spirit, which, although it may not be appreciated by the mass of people, is, nevertheless, a valuable asset. It helps him over the difficulties as well as in his successes. “Good sportsmanship” is a characteristic for which all should strive. Eleanor Stoughton ’23

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30 SOMANHIS EVENTS The “Good Sport” has always to ove:come the opposing force. He has to face it in an absolutely open “man to man” fashion. in a game it is ap- parent who the aiding and opposing forces are, but ottentimes in life this 1s not so. Many times when someone its really helping us we cannot see it. It is often hard to believe that someone or something 1s really helping us when they are working entirely against what we believe woulda most heip us. ‘he “Good Sport” is always ready to have faith in those who are trying to help him, and never draws hasty conclusicns as to who is reaily helping him and those who only appear to do so, ‘Lhat is, he does not argue falsely, trying to convince himself that the right way lies along the path ot least resistance; in- stead he faces the facts squarely and does not lead himself to believe that evil, covered with a thin veneer of good, is genuine. Many people, although they usually recognize that the opposing force has to be dealt with, believe that the aiding force can be taken as a matter of course. This, however, is far from true. First, consider it purely from the point of view of athletics. What becomes of the team whose players do not pull together? There is probably no other fault as disastrous to a team as lack of team work. It is the same in life; no person is entirely independent of his fellow men, for he who does not pull with his running mate is lost, and will never win in the game of life. Just as each man on a team is assigned his position in accordance with his ability to fulfill it, so in life does each man choose a position for himself, because of his ability in that particular work. Positions may be divided into two classes: Those appreciated by the general public, and those which are seldom appreciated. Just because a job is inconspicuous and not appreciat- ed is no sign that it is not important. For instance, think of the basketball team. Few, who do not thoroughly understand the game, appreciate the work of a guard. The forwards and center apparently make the score. The fate of the game appears to the casual onlooker to rest in their hands. Yet what happens to the score when the guard does not pass the ball to his own forward? Many a game is lost because of the guard’s failure to do this. It is the same in life. This world would not be half as fine if the only positions were those which are under the full glare of public appreciation. Thousands of jobs which are scarcely thought of are of great importance. To cite an example of this, think of the gateman at the railroad crossing. He is usually an old man dressed in shabby clothing. He is always at his post morning and night, and although his task seems simple, when we stop to think of it, how many lives does he save in a year? He is truly a silent guardian, yet he is seldom thought of except when he lowers the gates, thus stopping traf- fic when one is in a particular hurry. It is unnecessary to remind anyone that there is always a goal in an ath- letic game. There would otherwise be no incentive, no objective. But do people always recognize this fact in life? The goal that a man sets for him- self in life holds the same position in that man’s life that the goal in an ath- letic game holds for the players. The person may be compared with a vine. If a vine is allowed to climb on a trellis three feet high, it will do so, and any- one might think that it was at the height of its ability, wh ile it is only at the end of the goal set for it; whereas, if the trellis had been five or ten feet high, the vine would have grown to it. “Quit” is a word that can never be applied to a “Good Sport.” In ath- letics a man of the greatest ability is never considered a true athlete if he possesses this quality, for it is the essence of failure. This reminds us of the attitude one should take toward losing and winning. We all realize how much this counts in athletics, but do we realize that it is of equal importance in life? Many people are ruined because they are not good winners. They are successful in some undertaking, but instead of using this success as a rung of the ladder to climb higher, they rest contented, and the world loses another leader. On the other hand, there are those who are not good losers.

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32 SOMANHIS EVENTS aeaN3qaNjqeqyonala”? o y0a“=s=a“=N0eooaoaoaQqQq= $®?)S——————eeeeeee”wWwe.™®®®::: THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS Happiness is the reward of obedience and righteousness. It is defined by Webster as “a state of pleasu.avle content with one’s condition of life.” Instinct for happiness is as natural in man as the instinct of life itself. Certainly, it is a very important thing in this worid, for man must be happy, if he is to do good and lasting work. But we usually underestimate its place. We are inclined to think that the bright and sunny nature must be shallow, and the sad and thoughtful nature, the deeper and richer. Aristotle said, “Since all knowledge and all purpose aim at some good, what is the highest of all realizable good? As to its name I suppose nearly all men are agreed; for the masses and the men of culture alike declare that it is happiness.” All forms of philosophy, which have made it the aim of life, have come to the conclusion that happiness can be attained only through temperance and self-control. Life is full of simple, natural, healthy joy. “The highest happiness is not in what we have, but in what we hope to attain.” The way to happiness is harder to find than the way to prosperity. Some say that the sure way to lose it is to seek it. Some ambitions which men set before them as the unerring way to a happy life are fame, position of pow- er, Or possession of great wealth. But happiness does not depend upon pos- sessions. They often hinder because of over-anxiety to provide against pos- sible happiness. A man makes a great discovery when he finds out that life is not made up of the abundance of things, and that happiness lies along the common and universal lines. Experience shows us that when men live sim- ply, pleasure comes easily with every ac t. The first important factor in being happy is health. Few realize the worth of this until they lose it, or are in danger of losing it. Health not only makes heavy work possible, it also affects the quality of the work. Health’ affects our practical judgments; lack of it often produces a mind which can- not see things as they are. An invalid can be happy, and a weakling, noble, but it is in spite of their disabilities. The second factor of happiness is work. Being happy in our work does not lie in doing just the kind we like, but in learning to like the kind we do. The busy lives are the happiest. The strong person likes to battle in hard winter. He does not ask for the shelter of a snug nest us his permanent en- vironment. In his book, “Quest of Happiness” Philip Gilbert Hammerton tells of one of his old gentlemen friends who said, “I had many kinds of happiness which I did not want and never hoped for and 1 wished for many that I nev- er received. I discovered that the right way to enjoy happiness within my reach was net to form an ideal of my own and be disappointed when it was not realized, but to accept the opportunities for enjoying life which were of- fered by life itself from year to year and day to day. Since I took things in this temper, I have enjoyed a great amount of happiness.” Another of his gentlemen friends places happiness entirely in occupation of which he has always found an abundance, both in professional work and in studies. The third great way of being happy is by the “satisfaction of the affec- tions.” This includes home life, friendship, and associations with others. “True happiness is found in the mutual love of husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters.” It is also found in the association with others, especially by the young. One can be happy by accepting the task appointed him, by performing it cheerfully, and by habitually emphasizing pleasant things. Some go to business in the morning, and waste their best energy in outwitting their com- petitors. Returning home at night, they are tired and fretful, and remem- ber only the disagreeable things. Sense of victory begins with the belief that happiness and tranquillity are possible in spite of conditions. Beethoven was deaf, yet he wrote glor-