Applying the principle of reconciliation
August 6, 1980, was my first day at overnight camp. The day began with homesick tears and almost ended in gloomy ones. My cabin had just lost a close tennis baseball game to a neighboring cabin. But sadness turned to confusion as my cabin leader and the returning boys on my team chanted an enthusiastic cheer for the winning team. I had no choice but to huddle with the other boys and pretend to know the words.
On the planet where I grew up, losing teams sulked. They didn’t circle up to congratulate the winners with a heartfelt cheer. Instead, they hurried off the field or court, grumbling complaints and planning revenge. On the planet where I grew up, winning teams gloated and taunted the losers and their mothers. (The losing team might retort with a colorful gesture.)
