The worm

Celebrating too early. We all do it, and it can be hilarious when someone else is a victim to premature jubilation only to be let down minutes later. But then there are people who get hurt while celebrating. This was the case last spring with Brazillian UFC fighter Johnny Walker. After defeating all three of his opponents in the first round, he celebrated each of his victories with a dance known as the worm. Expectations were high for him after winning these matches, as he was becoming a dangerous fighter in the UFC.
During a fight March 2, Walker knocked out Misha Cirkunov and decided this would be a great time to drop his signature celebration dance. Right as Walker hit the floor to do the worm, he injured his shoulder. His trainers came over to check on him, confirming that he did indeed hurt his shoulder.
As I am writing this column, the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros are currently tied three-three with the championship on the line tonight. I remember that when the Nationals won the first two games, it sparked precelebratory comments from Nationals’ fans, and then I saw this flip as the Astros came back to dominate the next three games.
It’s so easy to become overly confident in things, whether it be a sports team or your ability at a given task. As a Saints fan, I have fallen victim to this many times, which is why I believe the game isn’t over until all the time on the clock is gone.
We live in a world of upsets. These upsets range from things such as presidential elections to job promotions. In some cases, upsets are great, especially if you’re the underdog. Upsets can break dynasties, humble the prideful and make the world seem fair.
Upsets can also be devastating. When I was a junior in high school, there was one night I was always excited about — our school’s theatre formal. At the formal, awards were handed out, and one I had my eye on for a long time was the Best Actor Award. After two years, I finally earned a few important roles, and the only thing standing in my way was one other actor in my troupe.
In my mind, I already claimed the award as mine, and I sat smuggly in my seat waiting for my name to be called. As they announced the award, I dusted off my suit and rehearsed my acceptance speech in my head. “The winner of the Best Actor Award is,” my director said. “Joshua Bearman.”
Just as I was halfway out of my seat, my broken heart threw me back down. I was shocked. This was supposed to be my moment, and I was so sure I was going to win that award. As he gave his speech, I remember being so angry, and that was all I focused on for the rest of the night.
After that night, I had so many doubts and so many frustrations, and that prevented me from being able to celebrate the accomplishment of my friend. Upsets tend to do that. Upsets can prevent us from finding joy in moments and can even tear apart relationships. Everyone is going to face an upset in their lives because we are not going to get everything we want.
God has better plans for us. In the great accomplishments that will happen in your life, remember to be humble and kind with your words. In the upsets, be as strong as you can by being encouraging and uplifting, rather than being bitter.
With a new era of NBA teams, only two undefeated teams left in the NFL, and a currently undefeated Alabama team, there are bound to be upsets. As tempers flare, tears are shed and teams walk away defeated, remember that while the other team is celebrating their win, they’ve also been where you are. They’ve had upsets too. So, my advice would be to lift your head, put on a smile and celebrate, because in heaven there aren’t teams. When one person wins, we all win.