Be like Bolt

I think he wanted to be like Bolt, and who can blame him? I have the somewhat hilarious tale of the unfortunate fellow who goes by the name of Jevaughn Minzie.

In case you haven't heard, Minzie, a member of Jamaica's Carifta team at the recent games held in MoBay, was leading the Under-17 boys' 200-metres final. Then, for some reason, he started to 'show off', looking at the crowd and spreading his arms wide only to find, to his horror I'm sure, that the Trinidadian competitor Cedenio Machel was right there with him. Of course, poor Minzie, now startled, lost his stride and eventually lost the race. He did finish second, though.

Now I can only imagine what the reception was like from the crowd at the Catherine Hall complex. Even Machel, in his post-race interview, couldn't help but take a little poke at him. So, in light of the tongue-lashing I'm sure he's received from everyone, including family and friends (with a few playful jibes thrown in), I won't add extra beating. Instead, I shall provide (or try to) words of encouragement. You see, if you look at the positives of the whole ordeal, Minzie was doing quite well. I'm no track expert, but I think he had the race won, so it means his development, at least from a technical and physical standpoint, is moving right along.

But my greater 'hush' for Minzie is that he's not alone. Many times, we all do exactly what he did. And no, I'm not talking about show-boating. I'm talking about taking things for granted. That's really the big sin that he committed, in my view. He assumed, as opposed to exalting himself. He assumed that because he couldn't immediately see anyone on either side, that he was literally in the clear. Too bad life doesn't work that way. There's always someone or something lurking to mess up your well-laid plans. Assumptions make you look like a chump and, at the moment, Minzie is one of the royal family members of Chumpsville! Such is life!

Even in this good old profession, some practitioners take things for granted and make assumptions all the time. For instance, leaving a game before the end, only to hear that there was another goal just before the whistle. Or how about assuming that you remember the facts about a particular election, don't bother checking the official results book, only to find out you were off by a few hundred ballots? Egg, on face, splattered!

But these experiences bringeth wisdom. I know we don't have to worry about Minzie for the rest of his career. Oh wait, I'm assuming aren't I? Oops!

Tell me if you've ever 'done a Minzie' at daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com