In our competitive, free-market, capitalistic society, the push to be first in practically every area of life is prominent.

We see the push for first in sports (World Series, Super Bowl, U.S. Open, etc.). We see the push for first in business, although it is usually first in sales and not customer service! We see this push in academics.

Being first, however, may not always be the best.

I remember an occasion in Brandon, Fla. when I was living there. I was the first through a stoplight, regrettably.

A woman from Korea (although where she is from does not matter), who had moved to the United States, decided to beat the light. She did not make it, plowing directly into the side of my car.

My car was totaled. I went to the emergency room a couple of days later, bleeding internally. My being first through the light at that intersection was certainly not the best for me!

Since then, I have attempted to remember to never be the first to drive through an intersection when a red light turns green. As anyone who drives in Kennett knows, folks are always trying to beat the light. Being the second through the light may indeed be better than being first.

There is another important reason why being first is not always best. Without being second at least some of the time, how would one possibly know, understand or appreciate one of the most essential elements to happiness, i.e., grace. One of the best ways for one to become gracious toward another is to experience failure himself.

How a person handles the crisis of being "second," or of failing, has a dramatic impact on how well he succeeds from that point forward. As one person said, "accept that failing is a normal part of life, but try to fall forward -- in the direction of your goal . . . If, instead of dwelling on the circumstances of the past, you can manage to move forward, your fall will send you in the direction of your goals."

Thomas Edison had a good way of looking at being second, or of making mistakes, or of failing. He believed there were no such things as mistakes, only "eliminated options" which brought him one step closer to his goal.

Since being first is not always possible, being first cannot always be best. Being second from time to time should, however, teach one to be determined to strive to be first from that point forward.

Jack Rollins is the managing editor of the Daily Dunklin Democrat.