Sylvie Soul Writing Podcast

Confession time: I’m a fan of King of the Hill. In season 5, episode 19 of the series, the eponymous character Hank Hill competes in a lawnmower race. There’s this bizarre plot where Hank discovers he has no buttocks, which comes to a head in the last lap as he struggles to finish the race. Hank can’t win, and neither can his neurotic friend-slash-neighbour Dale Gribble. Dale reasons he can at least have bragging rights in beating the handicapped racer, leading to this memorable line uttered in the race for sixth place: I lost…but I can still beat Hank. That’s even better than winning! This line has become a running joke amongst me and my siblings, and we often spout it in times when failure is inevitable but abject humiliation can be avoided by at least beating the opponent directly behind us. Case in point: when it comes to preparing for long –distance races, I am not the fastest runner. I came in last place in my 8th grade cross-country team. While I no longer bring up the rear, I’m still far from an elite