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If you were raised properly, your mama told you to say “please” and “thank you” in various social situations. Instilling good habits and good manners is one of a parent’s many jobs. Conditioning children to express gratitude and appreciation is one of the fundamental tasks of parenthood.
A more layered and complicated task, flowing from teaching young people how to thank others, is the process of emphasizing that it is not weakness or a personal defect to accept an act of kindness or generosity from someone. True, we don’t like to accept charity from others — we would rather want to make our own way and be self-sufficient if at all possible. Yet, life is complicated, and if another person knows we are struggling in some way or to some degree, and that person wants us to have $20 or a large casserole for a few nights of nourishment, the proper thing to do is to graciously accept the gift so that the person’s gesture is received with warmth and appreciation. That’s what the other person wants.
Just try to pay back the gesture in the future when you are in a better position to do so.
Refusing to accept a gift can and even should be done on select occasions, but those occasions are professional more than personal. Journalists can’t accept gifts from the people they cover. Policemen, politicians, lawyers, doctors, and other people in prominent positions which affect human lives must observe the highest ethical standards. They can’t accept generosity for professional reasons.
But in terms of most private citizens, in relationship to neighbors or friends across the street or down the block? Sure, accepting gifts is normally the decent thing to do.
This brings us to Clemson basketball… and Serena Williams.
A month ago at the Australian Open, Serena Williams led Karolina Pliskova, 5-1, in the final set. She even had match point. She then rolled her ankle and couldn’t serve at all. It was shocking, but it happened. Pliskova had to ask herself: “Can I do this? Am I ready to take advantage of this unexpected opportunity?” She steeled herself, saved that first match point, saved three more match points, and broke Serena’s serve three straight times to win six games in a row and win the match, 7-5, in that final set.
The fates gave Pliskova a gift. She could have been timid or self-conscious enough to refuse it, but she took it. She won several hundred thousand extra dollars as a result, plus a few hundred extra rankings points on the WTA Tour.
Was the win affected by an injury? Sure — no one denies this. Yet, there was a moment waiting to be seized. The only sin is failing to take advantage of it. If life puts a $100 bill on the street, hell, pick it up. That’s what Pliskova did against Serena.
That’s what Clemson basketball did on Saturday against Virginia Tech.
Look — no one will dispute how huge and centrally important the Justin Robinson injury was in this game. If Robinson plays, chances are Virginia Tech would have won. However, he didn’t play.
What is Clemson supposed to do? LOSE, as though that refusal of charity would somehow make things better? Of course not. Clemson had to go out and take advantage of this situation. It promptly held Virginia Tech to under 30-percent shooting from the field. It locked down Nickeil Alexander-Walker and bagged a huge win which puts the Tigers back in the thick of the NCAA Tournament hunt. Shelton Mitchell drained five threes and scored 22 points. His meal-ticket scoring has returned exactly when Brad Brownell needed it.
This was a stroke of good fortune for the Tigers, and they had the good sense — and good manners — to say please and thank you.
These young Clemson men — and Brownell — were evidently raised properly.
Now let’s see if they can build on this win in the coming weeks and solidify their resume even more.
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