Wrestling
with
Humility
By Jacob Siderman
T
his photo means a lot to me.
It was taken on February
18, 2017 in the completely
empty San Marin High School boys’
locker room. Just before taking this
picture, I had won the wrestling
match that secured me third place in
the league and a spot at the North
Coast Section wrestling tournament.
After three years of being a part of
this team, this family, it is probably
the end of the road for me with
them. When I stepped on the mat
for the first time as a sophomore,
I was incredibly out-of-shape; I
weighed over 180 pounds, had no
semblance of self-esteem, had never
had to work hard, and still thought
of myself very highly—but for all
the wrong reasons.
In this photo I weighed 151 pounds,
and I had more confidence in
myself, and in my abilities, than
I had ever had before. This is
because I had experienced years
of testing my mental and physical
limits, and I like to think that I was,
and am, more humble. These last
three years have been hard—full of
immense amounts of experiences
and self-realization. Voluntarily
showing up after seven hours of
school to essentially be beaten up
for two more hours by wrestlers
who were much better than me—is
humbling.
Waking up at 4am to drive for
hours to a tournament, only to
36 MARIN ARTS & CULTURE
be eliminated after two matches
without scoring more than a few
points—is humbling. Accepting that
you are not that knowledgeable,
and must be taught and trained
how to do things by others—is
humbling. Working, helping,
teaching, and contributing at every
possible opportunity—is humbling.
Each of these experiences forces
one to think, or to learn, or to do.
Because of these experiences, I am
a better human being. I feel an
obligation to myself and to others,
to bring out the best in humanity.
I know that I can overcome any
challenge that I may face by
problem-solving, seeking guidance,
or harnessing the sheer force of
will. Because I had the privilege
of sharing these experiences with
a group of fine young men, I like
to believe that I am part of a
brotherhood. We have given to each
other and received in kind. We
have studied together, cried on one
another’s shoulders, and we’ve also
gotten into some trouble together. I
consider them to be an extension of
my family.
As I move on to promising
experiences outside of Tamalpais
High School and Marin, I would
like to thank my parents, coaches,
teammates, friends, brother, school
counselors, coworkers, pupils
and teachers for these last four
unforgettable years.
I am so very grateful—thank you.
MAC