OPINION: If the world were more like sports...

There are no simple answers to today's problems. But a good start might be if somehow, we could make the world a little more like sports.

I hurt. I really, truly hurt for our country right now.

The death of George Floyd and the protests and riots that have since followed have brought to a boiling point divisions amongst us.

I sat on my back porch in Starkville staring out at my backyard for a long, long time on Sunday afternoon. I don’t know how great of a writer I am, but it’s what I do. I write. I tried to write down my feelings in such a way that it might make you, the reader, feel better. I tried to put into words some wise something that might play some little part in making the world a better place. Nothing I wrote down fit.

In the end, I was left with this short message and simplistic poem. I suppose it’s probably better this way anyway. Because now, in 2020, it’s not what we say that matters. It’s what we do.

Do you know how I, Joel Coleman, can make the world a better place? I’ve got two small boys. I have a baby girl on the way. I can make sure my three children always have an example in a mother and father that loves their neighbor no matter what. I can make sure my children are always taught that it is never, ever acceptable to treat anyone differently because of the color of their skin or any other differences.

I don’t know what the full answer is to the problems that plague our country today. I wish I could snap my fingers right this second and end racism and division of all kinds. I can’t. You can’t. But what I can do and what you can do is make sure that yourself and those around you that you are closest to don’t tolerate anything less than love and appreciation towards one’s neighbor. Don’t accept anything less. For what you accept, you allow.

I know there is probably someone out there reading this today saying, ‘Enough Joel. Stick to sports.’

Okay. I’ll do it. Because quite frankly, what a beautiful world it would be if it were only more like sports.

If the world were more like sports, 

a better place it would be. 

The colors of a jersey, would be the only colors we’d ever see. 

We’d fight together and play together, all races side by side.

We’d win together. We’d lose together. In each other, we could confide. 

If the world were more like sports, it’d be such a happy place.

We’d be teammates - brothers and sisters, no matter the color of our face.

Yes, sometimes we’d still disagree, there’d still be a spat or two.

But we’d work it out and fix it, because that’s what teammates do.

Instead of being all divided, we’d be united and be cohorts.

Yes, what a better place this world would be, if this world were more like sports.