The Power of Second

I don’t want to be first, I want to be second.

First is nice, first is the place that we all strive for after all. Let’s think about that: First.

Wow, feels good just thinking about being first! But what does being first actually mean to us? First in line? First on your block to have the new and improved whizamajigy 3200? First place in the annual championship race? First to think of something new? Of course it means all of those things and much more.

But being first is a fleeting status, being first ends quickly, it’s a one shot deal. In most cases being first is over in a matter of moments. And to become first again, you need to do something else, well…first. And that can be quite hard you know, if being first was easy, it wouldn’t be that special now would it? Now that I mention it, I rarely seem to accomplish something first. First is something that happens to the other guy, always somebody else.

And sometimes first can be outright dangerous! Who wants to be first to take a new experimental pill? Or the first to fly a new plane made with untested technology? Or the first soldier off the ‘copter in a hot zone? How about the first to try their wife’s new tofu dish? First to get attacked by a shark this year? Not I.

That’s why I want to be second.

Second place is just fine! Being second gives you insight into the immediate future. People who are second have knowledge, they have (dare I say?) power over their destiny? I think they do (unless you are a lemming that is!)

Being second is such a warm and safe place to be. “Hey, that pill turned out to be bad, it killed that first guy”. *whew*, it was nice to be second in that instance wasn’t it? If you raced cars or played golf, wouldn’t you rather be second all the time than first on rare occasion? As irony would have it, you can perpetually be second in pro golf or racing and end up being first anyways! You race and golf fans know what I am talking about.

And what if being first meant you had to break something in? That’s no fun, second is much better, its still new, but now broken in. Look at a car for instance, the first person paid full price for it and still didn’t know if it was defective. The second owner however has a broken in car that in many cases is still brand new, and for much less money!

All that I have said so far about being second is nice, but that’s not the real reason I like to be second. I like being second because it’s a very powerful position to hold. Really, it’s powerful. How is it “powerful” you say? Easy:

Being second, I have the power to make third be first. “Hey, go ahead, please”. Now third is first and I, am still very much second. Again. And I can repeat that as much as I want, but at any time I can make myself first! I can even make myself last eventually if I chose too, only to end up being second again eventually, depending on the context that is.

Imagine you are third, not the worst place to be, but out of the “winners” it’s the least winner of them all. Now imagine how great you would feel if second made you first? Man that second is a swell guy! And I get to make fourth a winner now! THE POWER!

Being second could last all day long if you wanted it too, and at any time you were ready to stop, you can promote yourself to being first!

So next time you find yourself “ranked”, don’t be so upset that you aren’t first. That guy’s time is numbered. But being second is eternal!

Well that made no sense.
How is being first fleeting?
Chuck Yeager is still the first man to have ever broken the sound Barrier. The second?
Who was the second?
The whole thing kinda sounds like a siler medalists justification for losing to me.

Originally posted by ShazamsChampion
Well that made no sense.
How is being first fleeting?
Chuck Yeager is still the first man to have ever broken the sound Barrier. The second?
Who was the second?
The whole thing kinda sounds like a siler medalists justification for losing to me.

Thats your opinion and you are entitled to it. And apparently thats all you have.

And until you make a contribution to ATS other than lurking in the shadows of others works and threads, your opinion is meaningless.

Come talk to me after you have hung your own stuff out there to dry and started a thread of your own. Any thread, in any ATS forum because you have yet to do that. Until then your opinion is meaningless.

Originally posted by ShazamsChampion

Well that made no sense.
How is being first fleeting?
Chuck Yeager is still the first man to have ever broken the sound Barrier. The second?
Who was the second?
The whole thing kinda sounds like a siler medalists justification for losing to me.

Could you possibly be more judgmental? This is a creative writing forum. Back off.

Skippytjc, do not let this troll dissuade you from posting.

Originally posted by skippytjc

Originally posted by ShazamsChampion
Well that made no sense.
How is being first fleeting?
Chuck Yeager is still the first man to have ever broken the sound Barrier. The second?
Who was the second?
The whole thing kinda sounds like a siler medalists justification for losing to me.

Thats your opinion and you are entitled to it. And apparently thats all you have.

And until you make a contribution to ATS other than lurking in the shadows of others works and threads, your opinion is meaningless.

Come talk to me after you have hung your own stuff out there to dry and started a thread of your own. Any thread, in any ATS forum because you have yet to do that. Until then your opinion is meaningless.

And my having not made any posts makes you assertion that first is fleeting any less inaccurate?
The only thing that lasts is first.
Chusck Yeager will always be the first man to have broken the sound barrier in controlled flight, just as the Wright brothers will always have been tthe first to attain powered controlled flight.
Your entire thesis, that "first is fleeting" is erroneous.
Its erroneous whether I have made any posts or not.

Don't blame me because what you post doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Skippy, good post. I liked it...sort of delusions of mediocrity.

Shazam, walk away. This is a nice short story, and I'm sure you don't want a warn.

DE

Originally posted by ShazamsChampion

And my having not made any posts makes you assertion that first is fleeting any less inaccurate?
The only thing that lasts is first.
Chusck Yeager will always be the first man to have broken the sound barrier in controlled flight, just as the Wright brothers will always have been tthe first to attain powered controlled flight.
Your entire thesis, that "first is fleeting" is erroneous.
Its erroneous whether I have made any posts or not.

Don't blame me because what you post doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Criticism from somebody who has yet to offer ATS any content is worth nothing to me. Would you take tennis lessons from somebody who has never played the game? Of course not. Critique and brazen abrasive critique at that, is all you seem to have to offer ATS so far. Put up or shut up my friend.

This is the last I will post regarding you

Skippy, don't stress it.

Shazamswhatever, STAND DOWN this is not a debate, this creative material. Do you know what that means? Your commentary here is not needed or wanted.

Originally posted by DeusEx

Shazam, walk away.

I'll second that.

Nice piece of writing, skippyjc. Worth a second read.

Originally posted by skippytjc

Originally posted by ShazamsChampion

And my having not made any posts makes you assertion that first is fleeting any less inaccurate?
The only thing that lasts is first.
Chusck Yeager will always be the first man to have broken the sound barrier in controlled flight, just as the Wright brothers will always have been tthe first to attain powered controlled flight.
Your entire thesis, that "first is fleeting" is erroneous.
Its erroneous whether I have made any posts or not.

Don't blame me because what you post doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Criticism from somebody who has yet to offer ATS any content is worth nothing to me. Would you take tennis lessons from somebody who has never played the game? Of course not. Critique and brazen abrasive critique at that, is all you seem to have to offer ATS so far. Put up or shut up my friend.

This is the last I will post regarding you

He doesn't have to have played to know I am holding my racket by the net instead of the handle. nor does he have to have played to make his assertion that doing so is wrong valid.
Bottom line I stated two things, that it sounded like a justification of mediocrity to me (opinion) and that you statement that first is fleeting is wrong (fact)
My lack of experience posting here doesn't enter in to it.
However your defensiveness, and choice of defensive tactics, (your new and Im not so your wrong and I'm not) is very telling.
But hey, if you want to get bent out of shape just because someone points out that what you said makes no sense go for it.

I think Dick Cheney likes being second. Heck, in this case being second probably has more power than being first.

Originally posted by mecheng
I think Dick Cheney likes being second. Heck, in this case being second probably has more power than being first.

Bingo!

Thanks for all the support guys.

This is the Collaborative Writing Forum, and as such, is the designated place for selected members to release their inner muse, not for the off topic musing of "under bridge dwellers." Critiquing writing style is one thing, debating content, personal diatribes, or political commentary are not welcome here. Please confine comments to the work submitted by those of "Writer" status.

For more guidance:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by skippytjc

Originally posted by mecheng
I think Dick Cheney likes being second. Heck, in this case being second probably has more power than being first.

Bingo!

Thanks for all the support guys.

Interesting, you think those who agreed with you were supportive.

Isn't that the basis for being "supportive"... agreeing with someone's viewpoint? If you didn't agree you definitely wouldn't be supporting their views would you?

[edit on 25-5-2006 by mecheng]

Here's another one... I'm not a huge NASCAR fan, but I do kind of follow local hero Matt Kenseth. Didn't he end up winning the championship a couple years ago without winning a race? He was consistantly in the top 10 or so but never first (I think). I think they re-did the points system after that.

Originally posted by mecheng
Isn't that the basis for being "supportive"... agreeing with someone's viewpoint? If you didn't agree you definitely wouldn't be supporting their views would you?

[edit on 25-5-2006 by mecheng]

How supportive is it if you tell someone thier right when they say two plus two equals three?

I was being supportive by pointing the parts of his work that neither made sense nor stood up to scrutiny.
His assertion that "first doesn't last" fits the bill.
Even from a purely logical standpoint being the first to do something is the only thing which lasts.
How many men have walked on the moon since aldren?
Did any of those subsequent events chnge the fact that he was first?
How is agreeing with someone when they state that the moon is made of green cheese suppotive?

Originally posted by ShazamsChampion


How supportive is it if you tell someone thier right when they say two plus two equals three?

You don't seem to be getting the idea behind this forum...

If I wanted to write a story about a child who was raise by chimps in the African rainforest to become a legend, then it is fine to do so in Short Stories without someone claiming that chimps would only kill the child.

If I wanted to write a science fiction story about a dimension where 1+1=3, then that would be fine and free of the criticism that it is not sensible.

Please stop criticizing the material in this manner...

and also please read your U2U's concerning this (top right hand corner of your page)

edit for basic math






[edit on 26-5-2006 by masqua]

"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese".

Personally, I prefer cheese.


Good one, skippy.

Collaborative Criticism

Originally posted by ShazamsChampion
How is agreeing with someone when they state that the moon is made of green cheese suppotive?

Why do I get the feeling you're the guy who shouted out "Toons aren't real!" in the theater when I went to see Who Framed Roger Rabbit and scarred me for life?

Here's some constructive criticism for you: if you make a comment in a thread, and no less than three of your fellow members and three -- make that four now, counting me -- moderators tell you it's inappropriate, maybe we're not the problem.

I can only assume that you're new to Short Stories and Collaborative Writing and thus don't understand the fact that these forums have a special place and culture on ATS. There's nothing wrong with not knowing that up front, provided you are open to learning more about them and respecting what they're for.

I suggest taking a look at some of the many other offerings in these forums to help gain an understanding of their purpose.

And please consider that criticizing creative writing for being creative is not the way to distinguish oneself as an authoritative literary critic.

Skippy, sorry for the OT commentary on my part, and yes, I thought it was a very amusing essay.

Second-rate, all the way!