My Own Little Experiment on Strength
So, I got thinking about this whole “strongest race” thing the other day. Not in a weird way, mind you. It started when I joined this local volunteer group. We were tasked with cleaning up a park after a big storm hit our town. Trees down, debris everywhere, just a total mess.
We showed up early Saturday morning. It was a real mix of people. Old folks, young students, office workers like me, some real burly construction guys too. Honestly, looking around, you might think, “Okay, those big guys are gonna do all the heavy lifting.” And yeah, they did help with the huge logs.
But here’s what I noticed as the day went on:
- An older lady, probably in her late 60s, was meticulously picking up tiny pieces of broken glass from the playground area. Non-stop, for hours. Didn’t complain once.
- A couple of teenagers, who initially looked like they’d rather be anywhere else, got really into organizing the recycling piles. They figured out a system, directed people, kept at it even when it got tedious.
- One guy, who wasn’t physically imposing at all, turned out to be amazing at coordinating. He just naturally started assigning tasks, making sure everyone had water, keeping spirits up when we got tired. He was the glue holding things together.
By lunchtime, we were all exhausted. Muddy, sweaty, tired. The big dudes were definitely strong, no doubt. They moved stuff I couldn’t even budge. But that older woman’s persistence? The teens’ unexpected focus? The quiet guy’s leadership? That felt like a different kind of strong.
We worked until late afternoon. We didn’t magically fix everything, but we made a huge dent. Everyone pitched in, doing what they could. Some lifted heavy branches, others cleared pathways, some just kept bringing snacks and water around.
It really made me ditch that whole idea of ranking groups. Strength wasn’t just about muscle. It was about endurance, showing up, contributing in whatever way you could, and sticking with it. Seeing that group of completely different people pull together, each bringing their own unique type of toughness to the table… well, that felt pretty strong to me.
So, my conclusion after that day? Forget about finding the “strongest race”. It’s kinda pointless. What matters is people showing up and doing the hard work, together. That’s the real strength I saw in action.
