I Don’t Have To Be Number One!
Date:February 12, 2004

I Don’t Have To Be Number One! 
 

  I was sitting here today pondering over the last 14 years  of my life and something occurred to me, I don’t have to be  number one. What is it anyway? Every time I leave my home  without my family and head off to an event, clinic or just  business in general chasing this thing called being the  best, I’m missing so many important things. For example I  haven’t been home for my own birthday in 10 years. One of  my sons, Cole, recently held on to my present for two  weeks after my birthday before he could give it to me. The  other son, Kash, sent me a card I didn’t receive until two  weeks after the fact. You would think, “Dang you got robbed  of your birthday,” when the truth is, they were
   
Why do we place business and being the best before God and  family? I know I have for years but that is about to  change. I love God and I love my family and I’m not sure  what happened to me but recently I woke up and realized  all I have missed, all I was sacrificing. When in fact, I  wasn’t sacrificing at all. I was too consumed with myself  and my own goals than those of people far more important  than me. God and my loved ones.  
 
Who am I really? Just a dang old horse rider. A better  question may be, “Who cares who is the best?” You know, I  suppose the only person that really cared was me. Everyone  hates the winner anyway, isn’t that what you have  experienced? We have all heard that it is lonely at the  top. Well, that’s true. The reason it is so lonely is you  run everyone off getting to the top because you so self  centered and everything revolves around you that you  forget. You forget to think of the present your little  boys have picked out and wrapped their selves and tried so  hard to keep a secret just so they could receive your love. 
 
  I hope someone takes the time to read this article I’m  writing because I’m sure at some time or another you have  experienced a similar situation. So you ask me who is the  best, all I can say is please God don’t let it be me.
   
Scott T. Lumley