Leggo my ego

My KMUW radio commentary from last Friday:

My ego can beat up your ego. My team can beat your team. My political party can beat your political party. My country can beat your country. My planet can beat your planet. My galaxy can…well, we’re not quiet that far yet, but the time will come.

Bragging rights. We humans love ‘em. Gotta be the best, the biggest, the baddest. In a conversation with a friend recently I found myself saying this about the recent basketball season: “Thank goodness for the Emporia State women’s team! National Division II champs!”

This in spite of the fact that WSU had a 25 and 10 record this year. KU had a 33 and 3 record and K-State finished with 29 and 8. But did I say, “Gracious, what a wonderful basketball season for Kansas’ teams.” No. Since only Emporia State won a national title, all others dropped off of my radar the instant they lost their last game.

Most of us lug around this ego that wants to wave a big foam “we’re number 1!” hand all the time. I’m not condemning competition. It’s the heart of sports, healthy and character-building and American and smiled upon by our God. Who, incidentally, is the number one true God. Whoops. There I go again.

Speaking of God, well, spelled backwards, my dog Ollie doesn’t seem to have that ego thing that I have. I’ve seen him turn all of his 65 or so pounds into a state of submission around dogs who were one-tenth his size. He doesn’t brood about it and scheme to undermine the other dog’s authority. Doesn’t try to cut him off in traffic. Doesn’t even put a decal on the rear window of a little boy peeing on that other dog. He happily moves on. The pack’s order established.

I’m trying to be more like Ollie. It’s really not about me. It’s about the pack called humanity.

And it’s about a great season of basketball in Kansas.