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Health & Fitness

Healthy Competition & A Triple Dog Dare To NK (& SK ) Store Owners

Amy's unusual view is an attempt to live deeply with extraordinary gratitude in an ordinary life

"The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting above average effort." -Colin Powell

"The person that said winning isn't everything, never won anything." -Mia Hamm

 
I know the adage about winning. "It is not how you win, but how you play the game." Of course this is true. It’s the same as, " The journey is better than the destination.” Yeah, it’s true. However, Mia is right too.  Listen.
I also just like to win.

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My family is competitive - I mean, really competitive. We play this card game called euchre. (Please if you know this game comment. I am always looking for folks to play with!)  

Euchre Defined : ( /ˈjuːkər/) or euchre, is a trick-taking card game most commonly played with four people in two partnerships with a deck of 24 standard playing cards. It is the game responsible for introducing the joker into modern packs; this was invented around 1860 to act as a top trump or best bower (from the German word Bauer, "farmer," denoting also the jack).

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The game isn’t hard. It is basic strategy – some math skills help (of which I have none). It is the game of the Feuchts. That’s my last name: it means damp lands. I will pause so you can laugh.

We pronounce it Fike. I am not sure why we pronounce it that way,  but I am grateful because my name sounds betters as Amy Fike than…well whatever you try to say when you sound out Feucht. Anyway, my grandpa who was a farmer (i.e. Bauer) and a Justice of the Peace loved euchre. So, now my aunts, cousins, siblings, niece and nephews we all play.
Everyone wants to win.

I almost never win. I don’t pay enough attention. I get involved in side
conversations, making uncommon wise cracks and I am a notoriously slow learner so I have to re-learn again whenever we are all together. However, I have come to enjoy the competition. Over Christmas my nephew Matthew and I almost beat my brother (Bill) and my dad in a streak.

Until they turned it around. Anyway...

Why I like the game is twofold. Fold 1: It is a tradition in my family. I find we as a society have less and less traditions and I love traditions! In my family there are all these sayings as you play the game: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” When making trump a person might say, “I make it clubs for my partner.”
There are a zillion of them. These sayings are the language of the legacy left to me from my family.

Fold 2: We laugh a lot and even though I lose a lot, I
think time spent laughing is part of why I feel so rich in this life.

I am mentioning all this because we have another competition afoot in one of my other “families” here in North Kingstown (& one business in South Kingstown!)

Eighteen
businesses will be collecting donations for the .
 This year's event benefits military families in need and the proceeds from these military-inspired paint cans will go directly to families in Rhode Island.

I figure they are families like mine with strange traditions, big jokes and maybe less time to be together. So, I consider this a great cause.  

North Kingstown loves competition also. (Two words: scarecrow contest.) The business that collects the most money will win two tickets the Heels gala on June 1 (to either keep or donate), a Patch goodies gift basket and (of course) bragging rights.

Now…I WONDER…if any of the businesses want to add a bit of creativity
to the mix. Perhaps they might match the funds in the can? Make
a sculpture to draw people to the cans
? (What can I say? The scarecrow
contest is my absolute favorite!) Or a store window dedicated to the cans
collection? Have a song play when someone drops money in the can? Or a bell ring? Offer a deal with one of your store items to benefit the Rhode Island National Guard?

I am just saying, what if we jazzed it up? If one of the businesses did that I promise to talk them up in this blog, maybe even interview them for their visionary idea. I mean, if it is how you play the game I triple dog dare the businesses involved to PLAY! Could there be a way to draw more people to this amazing event supporting those who support us?

To learn more about the Heels
& Wheels event and for ticket information, click here
.

Let’s see some SASS! Some surprise!

I suppose we shall find out.

The competition runs from April 25 to May 23.
Collections cans will be at the following locations:

/ /Blue Hydrangea///
& ///////Sydney Rae's//////

I love a crazy competition in a community. It is how we build our own traditions, our story together- and maybe some laughs. Most of all I would LOVE to be surprised by imagination, inspiration, ingenuity!

Are you in?

****And please check out my website for Writing Workshops for Adults & Youth !!! www.explorewritingworkshops.com

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