“Symbols are powerful because they are the visible signs of invisible realities” – St. Augustine
As the sun set over Crocker Field on May 28th, I was asked what the running of the “Virtual Relays” meant to me as both Athletic Director for Fitchburg Public Schools and as a resident of the great City of Fitchburg. In that moment, a flood of images cascaded through my mind and I could only express those images with one word: LOVE.
Human language is perfectly imperfect. Although we might think that we are being clear with our speech, it is very easy to be misunderstood by others when we speak. How does that happen? In fact, you may even be thinking to yourself, “Wait, my words have meaning! When I speak people understand what I mean!”
Well, do they always?
To dig deeper into that question, it is important to consider the definition of a “mean” that most people understand and are comfortable with. From a mathematical perspective, to take a mean is to take the average of a data set. It effectively indicates the middle of the range of available possibilities. Now, apply this concept to a conversation and reconsider the word “meaning.” Much of the understanding, the connection between two people happens in this magical space of “meaning.” It happens in the space between the individuals where the ideas are exchanged and turned into personal and relational symbols.
Let me explain.
Take the word dog for example. Take a moment and reflect upon the image that flashes in your mind when thinking of a dog. If you are a dog lover, the image of a tail wagging version of man’s best friend may have popped into your mind. If you have had a poor experience with dogs, it is equally possible that you have conjured an image of a dog gnashing its teeth with a menacing growl.
The word dog is simply a combination of letters. What the word dog means to the individual is based upon the collective personal experience that he or she has attained over their lifetime, and how they themselves relate to those letters and that sound. In a time of unprecedented communication where social media has granted a platform for everyone and anyone to say what they think, the words themselves express an ever widening range of possibilities. These possibilities make the invisible realities within each of us more important than ever.
In this way, upholding the proud tradition of the Junior-Senior Relays in the face of a global pandemic is a symbol of the LOVE that the participants have for both the City of Fitchburg, as an institution, and the LOVE that we have for each other as human beings. Collectively we are trying to navigate a world that is changing rapidly in each progressing moment. In this moment in history, we have been separated from each other, but emerging from this physical isolation is a renewed sense of collective identity surrounding what stitches together the fabric of our community. That is LOVE. LOVE for each other and LOVE for the limitless future of our great community as we grow into the 21st Century. Over time, the words we use to express this moment in time may change, but the symbolic nature of this event will endure.
To watch the Junior-Senior Relays, tune in to Fitchburg Access Television’s broadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday night on Comcast Channel 9, FIOS Channel 36, or streaming live on fatv.org (Education Channel) or on FATV’s Facebook page.
It’s Fitchburg pride and tradition at its finest.
Craig Antocci
Director of Athletics
Fitchburg Public Schools
"Love" - Google News
June 04, 2020 at 02:12AM
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Opinion: Junior-Senior Relays are all about love - Sentinel & Enterprise
"Love" - Google News
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