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Ahhhhhhhhhhh ............ those old "only two weeks until we ship" nerves!
Frayed? Burned out? On edge? Perplexed? Frustrated?
Sit down. Relax. Take a deep breath.
Repeat after me : "It's going to be OK; It's going to be OK; It's going to be OK......."
Now, think. Think hard. What is FIRST? Why did you get involved? What is it that keeps you coming back year after year? What is the value that you get out of it?
And, what makes you think that a couple of rule changes can make all of that disappear? All of our - OUR - hard work, down the drain - because of a rule? I honestly do not think so. There is far too much of value here to just dismiss it now.
Listen to me, please. FIRST is what WE make it. We - all of us - working together. That's what all of this is about. I'm not some Unibomber sitting in my dark cabin plotting out nefarious schemes and evil mechanisms to destroy the FIRST world. And, I don't think anyone else involved in it is doing that, either. I am going to do my best to work within the rules, in the spirit of Gracious Professionalism promoted by Dean and Woodie, and to make this game - which no one has ever played yet - work out as well as all the others have. Any team with a 'slash and burn' mentality is going to get frozen out of our community pretty darned quickly.
Certainly, we need to send our constructive criticism to FIRST, and make our opinions known. But calm down. Nobody listens to people that yell at them, and that's what is happening here.
Surely, when respected people like Dr. Joe and Ed Sparks are upset, something is not right. But, is it as wrong as we are making out? So wrong that we are willing to chuck the whole thing? God, I hope not, or I have been going down the wrong road.
Let's get back on track, people! If the FIRST community can't come together and work this out, then what hope is there for the world community? And, just who do you think is going to inherit THAT mess? Dr. Joe and Ed and I aren't the ones that are going to straighten that out and live with it. It's the students that are going to grow up and do that. So, what are we adults doing to help them get there? Carping about some silly robot rules? Think about the larger issues, please. There is too much at stake for us to fall apart over this minor issue.
We are supposed to be examples - GOOD examples. Let's act like it.
Sorry for the ranting, but I really think this was going the wrong way. I'll get off the box now.
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Leo M.
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