Participant vs. Winner

I recently spent a week in Scotland with my mom. My main goal was to attend the Cowal Highland Games and watch the Highland Dancing World Championships. The dancing was phenomenal and it was exciting to watch as the winners were crowned. After the event, my mom reported, "Highland Dancing is still in your blood!"

It was my primary extracurricular activity from the age of 8 until 2nd year medical school, at 25, when I could no longer accommodate the weekly time commitment. Teaching Highland served as my part-time job throughout high school and University. It taught me discipline and humility; it demanded courage, strength, stamina and grace. But I was a participant, not a champion.

I longed to be a winner. I did win the odd medal or trophy but I was never a major contender. My peers and I wanted to hold the coveted title that another pupil who trained alongside of us had earned - Champion of the Worrlllllddddddd!!!

We ooohed and aaaahed when she received front page status in the local paper's Life section after her World Champion win. We watched in envy when she was called on individually in class to show us how to properly execute a step. Our chins dropped in awe when she performed flawlessly in competition. We wanted to be her and live her dreamy life!

I bumped into her a few years into my medical training. She was married with two children and had recently started a dance school. When she discovered I was in medical school she said, "You got it right, Kim. We both practised and sacrificed but my achievement was short-lived. Yours is for life."

As I look back on my Highland Dancing career, I realize that I gained much by being a participant and even more from not being a champion.