Making the Right Moves with TOPS: Cramped

The term CRAMPED in chess describes the quality of a player’s POSITION. A CRAMPED POSITION means there is a lack of SPACE with no freedom to move.

To further refract on my previous blog, it is important to note that in TOPS, we must work at maintaining the SPACE we need and be careful of missteps. While change can be good, changing something that already works, or doing it just to satisfy one person at the expense of many, can leave people feeling CRAMPED.

In my opinion, TOPS took a CRAMPED POSITION that may have caused a continual drain of our membership. Cumbersome annual rule changes seemed haphazard and possibly took members’ focus away from their ultimate goal. I do not make this statement lightly, but when one reviews the massive amounts of notes and rule changes over a 25-year period, one has to be concerned about the direction this ship was taking.

Excessive rules on recognition have CRAMPED members, possibly making them feel they have no chance of success. It is going to take some time to turn the ship around, but we are working on it. Mrs. Manz wanted all members to be recognized for their efforts.

When I joined TOPS, I knew that I was under ATTACK by the dreaded disease of obesity. I was not looking for recognition, just the opposite, actually. My goal was to avoid calling attention to my size and just wanted to sit in the back row. I did not participate in chapter contests or attend Inspiration Workshops. It was not until I reached halfway to my goal that my chapter explained where I was for recognition rules.

Luckily, I was not put in a CRAMPED POSITION and my DEVELOPMENT continued without a BLOCKADE in sight. I considered myself fortunate to be recognized for my efforts, for which I am grateful. But I never lost sight of what I actually had gained when my crown and ribbons had long faded. I gained more years on this globe than many of my family and friends thought. Although I am struggling now, I am getting close to producing a new STRATEGY. I have acknowledged some HOWLERS that I should have known to avoid. TOPS has provided that SPACE for me to find my way again.

This game of life will always be ongoing, regardless of the charms, certificates, ribbons and yes, crowns. These contests are fun, but they should not take on a life of their own. I deal with more problems with how chapters are managed, accusations of recognition rule violations and general misinterpretations of rules than leading TOPS in societal, non-political discussions on wellness, as Mrs. Manz did. During TOPS’ most influential years, Mrs. Manz encouraged chapters to be involved in pressuring food manufacturers to include more information on their labels. She was even invited to the White House as part of a conference on health.

What will always be with us is that healthy lifestyle that helps us live longer, which allows us to experience future events that we cannot imagine. However, with the SPACE that TOPS creates, we have a better chance to generate that ADVANTAGE to have a better POSITION in life.