Virtural Reality...

I took a Greek Athletics class during my first year of college -- bio major combined with sports makes an interesting mix, huh? But I digress. One of the major themes of the class was a concept called Arete (with an accent on the last 'e'). Basically, it regards a persons virtue -- their strength, courage, and ability to carry on. This concept came back to me this weekend for some reason. I guess because of the dance performances that I saw this past Saturday -- including ours. When I see the crew, I am so amazed and proud of what they can do. If you see their faces and their energy -- you'll notice how focused and driven they are to share their talent and skills with so many people. Amazing. I love those guys, and not just for their talents but because of their awesome personalities -- they know what it means to be a team player and to support everyone in what they do. We need more folks like that.
So today, I began to think more about my own 'Arete.' Like, how do I begin to highlight that more? But more importantly, what the hell is it?!?! Perhaps it comes from the various models that I have encountered in my life -- both good and bad. Ultimately, from those that give of themselves altruistically. They are genuine in their actions, and despite how people may or may not receive them, they still carry on. How cool is that?
Carla Service (the woman quoted in the last entry) has been sick for the past couple of months. She told me that despite how horrible she may be feeling, when she sees her dance students and feels the energy that they give off, she can't help but want to move. This showed during her solo performance on Saturday night. She was so tired and literally lost her voice, but from the way she was moving and the energy that she gave off, you couldn't even tell. I admire that. When people are willing to give of themselves unselfishly, that is truly a rare find. Yeah, an 'Arete' like that is pretty damn cool.