The search for significance, or a load of bull?

Posted on July 12th, 2007 in Huh?.

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There is a cry within every human heart for significance, for a legacy, for something larger than themselves, something transcendent. In different people this manifests in different ways, the student wanting the best grades, the star player wanting to score that perfect score, the businessman who is not in business for the money but sees in his organisation a legacy to pass on to another generation.

On the other, less noble, end of the spectrum people will be often quite desperate to leave their mark on the world, if only for a moment. Witness to this are all the crackpot “world record” attempts that leave some maimed at best. Well, there is one tradition in Spain that fits neatly into this latter category in my opinion. It is the running of the bulls in the city of Pamplona. Fox news carried the story here.

In what is now a spectacular ‘tradition’ people from all over the world fly in to Pamplona in order to run in front of a bunch of charging bulls down some narrow streets until they reach the bullring. Historically in honour of the patron saint of Pamplona (San Fermin), it begun around a hundred years ago and is now a massive event in Spain, being televised on national TV every year. With all the gory details of people being killed (really) and injured by the bulls.

Well, with all due respect to traditions, this guy here sittin’ just don’t get it! I mean, if you want to do something brave, go change the world! Leave a lasting positive contribution to society - for crying out load join the scouts and help a few kids! But really, run infront of a bunch of raving mad Spanish bulls and then boast to all my friends that “I was there in 2007″? It just doesn’t click with me.

But maybe it does click with you - so click the following youtube video and make your own mind up (See ya there next year?)

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3 responses

  1. David D'Louhy says:

    Added on July 12th, 2007 at 3:31 pm

    Wow, it seems that the guys at the beginning were smart. When they saw the bulls getting close they made a path for them to run through. At the end it made me think of David killing the lion and the bear, only these guys weren’t trying to kill the bull, they were just trying to get really close to it without it killing them. Actually, I don’t think they were trying to avoid getting killing, it was more like they were trying to tag the bull without him tagging them.

  2. Jenelle says:

    Added on July 12th, 2007 at 4:16 pm

    I think the American crackpot equivalent would be that ridiculous hot-dog eating contest that took place a week or two ago. The dude who won ate something like 66 hotdogs in 12 minutes, and he now has the coveted world record.

    I think this means Jesus is coming back soon.

  3. John Baw (blog author) says:

    Added on July 13th, 2007 at 8:40 am

    @David: You are sharp man! The first runners are the experienced ones. These are the guys that have been doing this thing for years - and these are the ones that are hardly ever injured. The moronic goofs behind them are the ones that are irresponsible and take undue risks, putting their own lives, and the lives of others as well, at risk.

    @Jenelle: You crack me up!

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