The Speech I'd Like to Hear

You know the speech you often hear when a person stands up to accept an award and tells the audience, while staring adoringly at whatever trophy they're clutching, that they're living proof that you should never give up on your dreams? They usually go on about if you dream big enough and work hard enough (like them of course) that anything is possible. Great message!

Well, I'm kind of sick of it for a couple of reasons.

First, because it perpetuates our cultures imperative that demands everyone strive to be the winner (and, of course, concomitantly famous and rich).

Second, because the message comes from someone who has just won (and is usually famous and rich).

The speech I want to hear would convey the exact same message but come from the lips of somebody who hasn't 'made it' or won anything. I want them, an unsuccessful one who has tried for years, to tell me to keep working and not give up on my dreams. The older they were and the longer they'd worked at it, the better. I want them to tell me that all the self discipline and creative energy they used to bring their works to life was reward enough, in and of itself.

Because let's face it. We're not all going to 'make it' no matter how hard we try or how much we dream, no matter how many times the winners say it.

I want to hear it from a loser. It would mean a lot more.