I've been asked this by endless people throughout different times in my life. This question always digs under my skin and becomes unanswerable for my mind to compute.
Why do I care so much?
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Well, I've been able to collect my thoughts on the subject, and in the situations in which I have been asked this question, and I've developed a few possible answers for those who questioned me, my motives, my beliefs, and my morals.
1. This past summer, I worked my last year at a parks and recreation summer camp, as I have been working at since I turned 16 years old. I had also been a participant in this summer camp since I was 6. Kids are fragile human beings, they are still developing, and they need guidance to lead them on the right path to a healthy, successful life. That had been my understanding, at least. As a leader at this summer camp, I had made it my goal to teach children teamwork and acceptance that winning is not the goal in sports, but bettering your skills in that sport is. But, my job is also to make sure my kids are getting along, doing the right thing, and following camp rules.
While I was trying to tell one of the older boys in the camp that he could not go off and play basketball by himself, and instead should play Capture the Flag with the rest of the kids, a co-leader asked me, "Why do you care so much?"
After pondering my thoughts for the answer, I have come up with a little something. The point of the summer camp is for kids to be active and to play with other kids. As well as, encouraging team work. So why do I care? I care because if I let this one kid go off and play basketball on his own, he may be missing out on what it is to be a teammate. Not to mention, this participant is extremely athletic and kind to the children. He is an asset as a participant because younger participants look up to him. So, I care because I care about my job. I care about my participants.
2. I have been playing softball since I was 5 years old. This past summer was my 16th year being a softball player. I play on a parks and recreation team, so the competition is looser, but strategy is still set by coaches and relayed by the players. Since I have been playing for numerous years, I cannot help but take the sport seriously. I played competitively and I practice off the field. So, when I make a mistake on a play, and a teammate asks me, "Why do you care so much?", I thought of this.
Even though the sport is played for fun on my team, I still play to better myself. Why? What's the point? Well, there doesn't have to be one. I still play, after 16 years, to better my own skill. I have been able to use my skills to play on Central Michigan University's club softball team with no high school varsity experience. I am very able to compete on Oakland University's club softball team this fall. Why do I care when it's "just parks and rec", well because I know I can take my skills elsewhere, even if other players on my team can't.
Whether in sports, in careers, or in summer camps and you are asked, "Why do you care so much?", take a minute before you answer. Suppress the anger that may spike when someone asks you why you care about something that they could not care less about.
Because who cares? It's your belief system, the morals you were raised with, and the person that you've become over the years.
Why do you care so much? Because I can.
Why do you care so much? Because I should.
Why do you care so much? Because you don't.
Don't let anybody question what you care about, tell them like it is. Don't let anybody tell you what you should or should not care about or care for. I'll be rooting for you.
