Pick your passion.\u00a0 Go ahead.\u00a0 Pick it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the issue that drives you?\u00a0 … that you are totally passionate about?\u00a0 … that you have such a strong opinion on that you are certain that no one \u2014 absolutely no one<\/em> \u2014 could convince you otherwise?\u00a0 You know this topic.\u00a0 You feel strongly<\/em> \u2014 incredibly strongly.\u00a0 In fact, you feel so strongly, you believe you are incapable<\/em> of having any aspect or perspective that is skewed \u2014 that is \u2014 dare I suggest \u2014 even, possibly, partially, wrong?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n What is it?\u00a0 What\u2019s your driving passion?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n … abortion… adoption… gay marriage… the defense<\/em> of marriage… mandated healthcare… mandated prayer… mandated anything<\/em>… responsible economics… environmental responsibility… individual<\/em> responsibility… freedom of<\/em> religion… freedom from<\/em> religion… freedom… birth control… government-provided birth control… income inequality… education inequality… any<\/em> perceived inequality… cloning… hate crimes… gun control… gun rights… securing our borders… securing the rights of illegals… racial discrimination… gender discrimination… religious discrimination… sexual preference discrimination… social justice… administering justice… drug abuse… disabilities… parenting… parenting teenagers… gray hair removal…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (… sorry, but after listing all those passions, for some strange reason, my growing gray hair came to mind…)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n On Sunday \u2014 if<\/em> we were paying attention to more than the food and the football \u2014 the estimated 108.4 million of us who watched the Ravens prove victorious over the 49ers, were treated to a wise lesson modeled by the brothers Harbaugh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n John coaches the Baltimore Ravens.\u00a0 Jim leads the 49ers out of San Francisco.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The game was excellent.\u00a0 After a soaring start by the Ravens, tamed seemingly only by an odd electric outage, the game was both competitive and close.\u00a0 With less than 2 minutes to go and trailing by less than a touchdown, the 49ers had opportunity to finally forge ahead.\u00a0 3 chances.\u00a0 No touchdowns.\u00a0 1 chance arguably remained.\u00a0 On this fourth and final opportunity, the 49ers threw a fade into the end zone.\u00a0 All eyes watched as a play of several seconds seemed executed in undoubtedly, slow, slow-motion…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Incomplete.<\/em><\/p>\n The ball fell to the ground.\u00a0 Incomplete.\u00a0 The Ravens could then hold out for the win.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But on that final 49ers play, the physical contact was significant.\u00a0 Did the receiver push off?\u00a0 Did the defense interfere?\u00a0 Jim Harbaugh, the San Fran coach, screamed at the refs, throwing his hat in disgust, clamoring for defensive holding.\u00a0 John Harbaugh, the soon-to-be-victorious coach, felt just as strongly that no defensive penalty was in order.\u00a0 The 2 men disagreed. \u00a0No one seemed capable of changing either of their equally, incredibly passionate opinions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 2 men \u2014 the 2 brothers<\/em> \u2014 disagreed passionately on the call. \u00a0Regardless of extent their passion, one good man won.\u00a0 The other one lost.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The winner did not gloat in his accomplishment.\u00a0 Even though he won the absolute, pinnacle game of his career, there was no public utterance of arrogance, of how he was better, how his team was better, nor what a big [bleeping]<\/em> deal this was. \u00a0The “winning” brother was continually mindful that his circumstances still meant someone else’s loss; someone else he cared about passionately disagreed with what led to his success.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don\u2019t let the outcome also cause us to conclude that Jim Harbaugh (the Super Bowl\u2019s losing coach)<\/em> suddenly changed his opinion, acted as if it was no big deal, nor simply suggested he was happy for his brother.\u00a0 Jim declined immediate post-game interviews.\u00a0 When he did speak, he was very clear that he passionately disagreed with the call. \u00a0However, Jim Harbaugh was able to disagree without reverting to disrespect.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No gloating by John; no assuming he knows best. \u00a0No pouting by Jim; no assuming he is a victim. \u00a0The two men won and lost, while continuing to remember that people they cared about believed and felt differently.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Somehow we miss that…\u00a0 We feel so emboldened in our \u201cwins\u201d and our \u201closses\u201d that we seem to actually forget those we care about.\u00a0 We forget that those who feel differently are not always evil, not always disrespectful, and (God forbid, probably)<\/em> not always wrong.<\/p>\n We forget that we are brothers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully,<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pick your passion.\u00a0 Go ahead.\u00a0 Pick it. What\u2019s the issue that drives you?\u00a0 … that you are totally passionate about?\u00a0 … that you have such a strong opinion on that you are certain that no one \u2014 absolutely no one \u2014 could convince you otherwise?\u00a0 You know this topic.\u00a0 You feel strongly \u2014 incredibly … <\/p>\n