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Below me on the field, I saw many events to hold my interest. There were races and relays, jumping contests and hurdles. There were people who threw things and people who picked them up. People measured how other people did and an announcer described the action. He told us what was happening and he compared the deeds of the day with the deeds of the past in order to keep us informed of any new records.

All of this - and it was for me. I was a spectator of the Great Meet. All I had to do was sit there and watch. Just sit... but wait a minute, that's all I was doing, sitting. And I came here to run.

I asked my comrades about that and their answers were frightening.

Complacency said, "It doesn't really matter. After all, things are going just great. Besides, everyone of those people on the field is better than I am at his task."

Apathy didn't care.

Contentment just sighed.

They really didn't seem involved at all. They were spectators, not performers. Shocked and a little upset at my self for falling into the same rut, for sitting and watching, I leaped from my seat and jumped onto the field.

Things looked different on the field itself. The stadium seemed larger. The spectators seemed greater in number. The field was even bigger. And there were so many events. I was here, but I didn't know what to do. Then I met the shot-putter.