The best photo of 2021
As you know, every month I stop to look at the images of the salient events of that month on the web, on TV and in newspapers, and thus baptize what, on this blog, has become the category of the “photo of the month. “. In this month of January 2022 I should have chosen the photo of the month of December 2021; however, since December is the last month of the year, I want to change for this and instead I want to choose and offer you what I think was the the best photo of 2021.
Here it is
You will not find it on photo contests. I personally remedied it on a sports news site. Yet it is a very powerful photo, especially if you make the effort to go beyond its size and its natural contents.
But let’s go in order.
It is the evening of August 1, 2021. We are in Tokyo, the one that literally, for us Italians, is the other part of the world. A boy born in Texas but raised on the Lungotevere in Rome runs, but not as he has always done since he was a child. He does it in a special way, flying faster than the British (who still have to recover), the Americans and the Jamaicans, who have always been the masters of the fast race.
Marcell Jacobs
This guy, you all know him very well, is Marcell Jacobs, a very young Italian despite his name, who in 9.80 seconds managed to become the new man of the wind, as well as the fastest ever in the world.
On this victory, in Italy as in the rest of the world, rivers of ink have been wasted, the Italians in praise of this athlete who was completely unknown until July 2021, foreigners, gnawing, have instead until yesterday questioned the authenticity of Jacobs’ victory fueling suspicions of doping which, in some cases (see the British), even backfired.
But that’s not what I want to write about. I want to tell you about this photo. You see: it is certainly not among the most beautiful (it is also a bit blurry) among the thousands taken in that fantastic evening by photographers from all over the world. But it is perhaps the most important. It is thanks to this photo that the victory of the Italian athlete was certified and it is always thanks to this photo that perhaps we can, each for what he does in everyday life, learn a lesson that can maybe improve us.
Watch over
What do you see in this photo? I don’t see the sweat and fatigue (which certainly were and have been). I see what I call “the extra shot”. You see; the world is full of people who work hard and sweat (maybe not in the literal sense of the word). It is not true that we are on average slacker. But, unfortunately, for many of them that effort and sweat will never bring results, in their professional life as well as in their personal and emotional ones.
If you want to win, if you really want to make a difference, to the lungs and the heart, you have to add the kidneys; just like Marcell Jacobs did in the final meter, to make sure he gets his head ahead of his opponents. Only those who are capable of that stroke of the kidneys (which everyone can decline in their own way) will be able to leave a trace in the world, the external one, and the internal one to our personal relationships.
Final
This has always been my philosophy of life as well. Working for goals, hard if necessary, but keeping the clarity to be able to give that extra spark when it is necessary. On this I have achieved the personal and work goals of which I am still proud, and thanks to this approach to life, without wanting to be immodest, I think I will be able to leave a profound trace on this world, capable of going beyond the duration of my own existence. . Strive, let us strive to always write something incredible, in each of our days and, I assure you, sooner or later everyone will have their photo finish ready to attest that yes, this time, it was the best of all. He is the king of the world. Happy 2022 everyone!
