Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
In the chronicles lately, I have spoken about the decline in the sport, the importance of embracing our Eastern European friends to bring the sport alive, the necessity of embracing technology, and the thrill of the pigeon race, likening it to the excitement of the football Euros. I’ve touched on pigeon politics and the ever-present debates they stir. But now, dear fanciers, I want to direct your attention to the mirror. What is it with the pigeon fancier’s obsession with what other fanciers are doing? What fuels this fixation on how many birds others send per race, or how sizable their bank balances might be?
There’s been a lot of chatter online about this country’s most famous pigeon fancier, a man widely known for sending a large number of pigeons and competing at the highest level week in and week out. For me, this man deserves praise. He should be the benchmark, the fancier everyone strives to beat. Yet, time and again, we hear complaints: “He sent this many birds!” But he is not the only person in your clubs, in your federations, in your combines, or in your nationals sending large numbers of birds. However, because these others cannot “fly a kite on a windy day,” their names do not escape the lips of disgruntled fanciers.
Why not, instead, look into the mirror and ask yourselves: What do I need to do to beat him? Everyone in this sport, and I use the word “sport” deliberately, is there to be beaten. To improve as a fancier, you must race against the best. Your selection needs to be tougher, or you need to invest in better birds. The remarkable aspect of pigeon racing is that even purchasing the very best bloodlines is no guarantee of breeding winners.
Instead of envying or begrudging the success of others, consider what you would do in their position. If you had the resources that the man you dismiss has, wouldn’t you have a large house, a spacious loft, and the best pigeons your money could buy? The truth is, many of us would. The point is not to begrudge someone for their success but to find ways to elevate your own game. Instead of fixating on what Tom, Dick, Mark, and Harry have, focus on what you can do to improve.
The obsession with what others are doing can be a distraction from your own goals. Reflect on your own practices, strategies, and birds. Strive to be better, not just in comparison to others, but in your own right. The real challenge lies in self-improvement, in setting your own standards and surpassing them.
Remember, the sport of pigeon racing is as much about personal growth as it is about competition. Learn from the successes of others, but do not let them overshadow your own journey. Aspire to be the best version of yourself as a fancier, and the results will follow.
In the words of Master Po, “Do not look for faults in others; seek them in yourself. When you find them, correct them. This is true wisdom.” Let us turn our gaze inward, use the mirror to reflect on our own path, and strive to better ourselves for the love of the sport.
Grasshopper
