PE2020 Is About Building a Shared Vision for Physical Education in the Year 2020 and Beyond
PE2020 Submission Details
| Date: | 12/13/2010 |
| First Name: | Devin |
| State: | Georgia |
| Age: | 25-30 |
| Submission Title: | The Need to Live Well |
| Submission Theme: | Other |
| Submission Entry: | As a whole, we as a culture have grown numb to the staggering amount of data revealing the prevalence of physical inactivity, obesity, and various lifestyle related diseases the nation. This notion is supported by a lack of evidence suggesting these numbers our decreasing—if not increasing, each passing year. Whether one wants to place the majority of the blame on socio-economic status, lackluster education, or certain cultural/social norms is unimportant. The greater issue is apathy—people simply do not believe life is worth living well. “Wellness” may encompass a broad spectrum of ideas, ventures, or even philosophies. For our purposes, we shall use this term in reference to the suggestion that the human body functions optimally when it is exercised, rested, and given adequate amounts of proper nutrition. Human beings, as shown by statistics indicating that children today may not outlive their parents, are not supposed to unwittingly shorten their lifespan and the quality of their lives because of a self-imposed lack of care. Those who have already chosen to pursue wellness must take it upon themselves to admonish those struggling to do so, and further encourage those who do not. Blaming any one facet of our society does not facilitate a change. An endeavor taken upon by those who understand that human beings were made to walk upright, not sit in a chair…and to live off of the fruits of the earth, not what is processed and packaged in a factory…requires nothing more than sharing this lifestyle with those who have yet to taste of this. Some may follow this pursuit professionally—as physical educators, coaches, community health organizers, or the like. But it does not have to be so. Anyone who sees what is good about a walk, or biting into an apple can share these things with others. And it will be this collective effort that one must hope will replace apathy with empathy—perhaps inspiring people to take it upon them to live well. |