High Flyers and Outliers

I'd rather not blame my genetic ancestry for its lack of verticality, favouring to explore the range of outlying circumstances that might have steered me away from developing hops during adolescence. However, genetics do largely determine the ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fibres. And since explosive power is rooted in a larger concentration of the former group, it stands to reason that I would have already discovered a greater leaping ability by now if I had indeed been born with the "right stuff". It's long been said that certain athletes are born rather than trained - sprinters, for example, and perhaps leapers too.

If I had jumping hardwired into my DNA, I wouldn't be here hyper-whining about the air up there. But I am, capable of devoting time to pursuits both trifling and meaningful, in large part because my slice of life has been free of devastation and despair. So much is, in fact, dictated by birth, beyond our control: a loving family that can provide the basic elements of health and safety; a stable society that can provide education and economic prosperity; a tame and hospitable physical environment.

Not all 'pre-existing conditions' are born equal. Some people merely possess the physical characteristics that allow them to develop remarkable abilities. Others, though not genetically programmed to experience pain and sadness, experience life in this way by virtue of their families, their countries, or their geographical location on earth. One set of circumstances can provide individuals with the opportunity to experience the extraordinary, while the other can prevent people from enjoying the most basic forms of human hapinness.

So many are denied the chance to jump at all, let alone dunk.