Obstruction!

I love soccer. I love the beauty of its fluidity, its athleticism, its passion. I love that the rules of the game are called "laws" and that the officials are simply there to enforce them. I especially love that, in soccer, it is illegal to "obstruct" another player's path to the ball. A mutual shoulder to shoulder charge is permissible because it is seen that each player has an equal footing. But when one player obstructs the path and play of another, it violates the law.

I sure wish this law carried over into life, and specifically into group decision-making. It ought to be that decisions are made on the basis of the best arguments, the best ideas, the best outcomes. It ought to be that everyone plays according to the same rules of listening, analyzing, and agreeing. What should not be allowed is obstruction. By this I mean the intentional opposing of an idea just for the sake of making sure nothing is ever done without opposition. I get it that it is always good to have free-flowing discussion before a decision is made. But when the decision is obvious, and already mutually agreed upon, ongoing obstruction ought to be called out. Too bad we don't have an official with a whistle to help us see the facts. Even better would be an official with a yellow card to stop play and caution the offender that such behavior won't be tolerated.

Like I said, I love soccer. And the fact that I can't play the beautiful game anymore only heightens my feeling that real life should be more like soccer. But alas, it isn't to be. I guess I'l just have to get better at my own skills like ball control, and tackling.

Thanks for listening,

David