Growing up in America its easy to set expectations and standards of how things should play out. When you sit down at a restaurant you expect to have good service, quality food, and a valid representation of what was described in the menu to be on your plate when it is delivered. Someone who has grown up in America may also expect to have a shower every evening or morning, silverware to eat with, or not to be told they are fat or ugly.
Traveling on minimum budget, with 50+ mates, and on the world race your perspective changes quickly. Living in third world countries with families who live on less than $5 per day can have a great impact on the way you think and live your life. This effect can be positive and negative. Negative in the fact that you may be angry that you are not getting what you may think you deserve. Positive in the fact that it could alter the way walk throughout the rest of your life. But WHY do you think you deserve these things? Why do we, as Americans have a sense of entitlement toward the betterment of our lives? How can we justify that we deserve more than another person? We are ingrained with this thought from childbirth, whether us or our parents know it. (No blame on parenting!)
As a daughter, or son, there are also expectations that are “assumed” to be met. Every child wants the approval of their parents. They desire for their parents to be cheering for them on the sidelines, to be proud of them, to feel accomplished and loved. But what if, as a son or daughter, you do not meet the expectations of your parents? What if you feel like you have failed, or will fail them? This is a personal struggle of mine. As I have stated in previous blogs I enjoy being perfect. I do not like to disappoint others and go above and beyond what they might expect of me. But I also have the constant fear of “What if they do not get what they think is coming?” in the negative aspect. What if people do not get what they think they deserve?
So as a racer returning home, I want to ask a question: I want to ask you all to DROP your expectations of me that you might have when I return. I want to ask you to not think of any sort of idea of what Cassidy may or may not look like when she steps foot back into America. I fear disappointment. And if your expectations are not met, it is easy to slip into anger and resentment. I may not look like what many of you want me to look like when I return, but the good news is I am just the way God created me. He created us each in His image and we only need the admiration and justification of Him. I do not want anyone to be disappointed either with what they may have an idea of what is going to happen. Because one too many times I have ordered food from the menu in other countries and something COMPLETELY different has come out!
