Today, I attended a delightful baby shower, complete with an array of engaging games for the guests. One particularly memorable game challenged us to chug beer from a bottle as swiftly as possible. The prize? A coveted bottle of fine whiskey. Driven by my desire to win, I resourcefully tore a hole in the bottle with my teeth, accelerating my drinking pace. This unconventional strategy led me to victory, and I proudly claimed the whiskey.
Some might question whether my tactic bordered on cheating. However, the only instruction was to drink as fast as we could, with no explicit rules against creative methods. In my view, it wasn’t cheating but rather a clever interpretation of the guidelines, occupying a somewhat grey area of ethics.
This experience, I realized, mirrors the complexities of crony capitalism and politics. Often, actions in these realms aren’t explicitly illegal or deceitful, yet they skirt the fringes of moral ambiguity. Despite this, I have no regrets. I celebrated my triumph by sharing shots with my friend, the soon-to-be father, and my former wrestling coach. It’s intriguing to reflect on how my approach at the baby shower parallels broader global behaviors. When the sole focus is on winning, people can resort to some extraordinary measures.
1/20/24
Conor Jay Chepenik
