On the other hand, this 20-year-old is also going to live the rest of her life with the knowledge that the gold was hers without a doubt except for what can only be described as a momentary lapse of judgement. Bummer, dude.
For the rest of us, the collective groan will probably be emitted for as long as the scene is replayed: it could well become this century’s "Agony of Defeat" clip. But more than that, I think it is emblematic of a generation: a disturbing omen, maybe a wakeup call, and almost certainly a preview of things to come.
Linsey Jacobellis and her peers are the neo-adult children of the Boomers, a great many of whom have grown up not with the proverbial spoons of silver, but rather gold or even platinum. Good looks, good grades, cool toys, hip gadgets, bohunk clothes, lap of luxury lifestyles – what’s the big deal? Everybody’s got it all, right? And how hard could it be to get anyway? Cool.
Well, Miss Jacobellis just received a dose of real life, and life can be cruel to those who take their eye off the ball at the wrong time. And it very often punishes hubris (look it up-it's a good word), something that has not changed since the Greeks.
A generation of future leaders, jaded with an unearned sense of success and over-inflated self-esteems, are going to learn Lindsey’s lesson the same way she did. They are going to be ahead of the pack on their way to the finish line of whatever race they are in, get caught up in the moment, pull a showboat move and blow the finish.. Then they are going to sit back and ponder what just happened, and how it could possibly have happened to their own good selves.
Unfortunately, it will not be a snowcross run in the Olympics. It will be competing in business with overseas countries full of people who are really hungry for success, who grew up without any spoons at all. In the 21st Century’s global, energy-constrained economy the US still has a lot of work to do to stay ahead. Fuel cells, fusion, sustainability, healthcare, social integration – each pose technical, political and cultural challenges equal to or greater than the challenges we faced – and overcame – in the last century.
The US would have to be the odds-on favorite to crack each of these sooner than later, and in so doing increase the chances that we can preserve the prosperity and security we have enjoyed as a country for so long. We just have to hope that the young talent just now coming into its own will overcome the urge to "get caught up in the moment" and avoid "pulling a Lindsey" long enough to make the big breakthroughs.
The alternative? Well, whatever.
