Chopsticks and Competition

Yes, this is a post on chopsticks and competition, in case you couldn't guess by the title. But not the chopsticks you eat with, I'm talking about the game chopsticks. Yes, clearly I was feeling borededededededededed and random when I wrote this. 

For those of you that don't know, chopsticks is a game played with your hands. It's a two-on-two game. each person sticks out both index fingers. they take turns hitting each other's fingers, thus adding fingers to the opposing player. For example, if I have 3 fingers on my left hand and you have 1 finger on your right hand and your right hand hits my left hand, I would then have 4 fingers. Get it? If you get 5 fingers on a hand, that hand is out. When both of your hands are out, you lose. There are more complications, but I really don't feel like going into them right now. 

Anyway, there are these two guys at my school that are obsessed with this game, but haven't played each other yet as far as I know. For the sake of privacy, let's call them "Sebastian" and "James", okay? 

So, James and I were playing chopsticks, and he beat me three times in a row. I said, "Wow, you're really good." Knowing Sebastian was good at this game, I added, "You should play Sebastian to see who's better. I would definitely like to see that." 

Being as conceited as he is, James replied, "Sebastian? I would kick his butt." 

That day on the bus I told Sebastian, "James says he could kick your butt in chopsticks." 

Sebastian, being equally conceited, said, "James? I could kick his butt period." 

The next day I passed that on to James. His reply was, "Sebastian is such a BEEP." (I refuse to spell out dirty language on my blog.)

Of course, I repeated this back to Sebastian again later that day in the auditorium as we waited for our bus to come. As you can imagine, he wasn't very pleased. His response was, "He called me a BEEP?! Where is that little BEEP? I am gonna BEEP BEEP BEEP." (The guys at my school have quite colorful language, huh?)

And how do you think they were going to settle this? Chopsticks! They didn't get to play long enough to declare a winner, though, as a teacher made them sit down with the rest of the kids on their buses. (James is on one bus, Sebastian and I on another) Most likely they're going to play at another time when there aren't as many teachers around. 

If you have bothered to read this far into the post, I applaud you. Yes, there is a meaning for that story. 

The meaning is that competition can come from anywhere, even an indirect source. What had sparked competitiveness between two guys who hadn't had anything against each other a day ago was something neither of them had been aware of. How is it that two people who neither love nor hate each other one day, can be at each other's throat's the next, even when neither of them know where it originated, or who had brought on and nurtured the competitiveness? (In this case, evil 'lil me)

Maybe it has something to do with testosterone? Or maybe the human desire for competition, to be the best at a certain thing? This is something to think about, hm? 

I'll get back to you on this, if I happen to find out more, or if I actually remember. 

Adios, mi amigos.

Peace and Hufflemuffins

CJ