"The used key is always bright" is a 16th-century proverb that reminds us "activity, work and exercise keep the mind and body in good form," as explained by Martin H. Manser. That proverb and its translated meaning impart an encouraging life truth.

I find a true-to-life connection between the oldest, universal combat sport of wrestling and a newspaper's opinion-editorial section. This Opinion section is our public arena on paper, where we step into "the zone" (a mental state) with a specific mind-set to wrestle with a wide range of societal issues and opposing viewpoints as we read, reflect on, discuss and respond to published commentary.

Fortunately, we do not have to wear a singlet when we wrestle here on the op-ed page, and no, we do not win a medal for contributing opinions and comments. However, through wrestling with issues in a newspaper format, we exercise and keep alive one of our treasured American freedoms: the freedom of speech. Exercising freedom of speech often reveals what is in one's heart as well as helping prod informed citizens to get to the heart of important, tough matters facing our society so we can begin combating problems and implementing plausible solutions in a "fit" manner.

As a working definition for a key insight into what it means to be "fit," my well-used 1987 version of Webster's Dictionary pinpoints fit as being "sound physically and mentally: healthy. Fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action." Both personally and professionally, I like to broaden the concept of fitness to include mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and social aspects, which are all covered to some degree here on the Opinion page.

Wrestling with fitness motivation can mean different things to different people of different population groups. Yet, while individual and group differences exist, I believe a shared value to unite around as diverse members of our society is a collective desire to cultivate heart within people while addressing issues and combating societal problems with resourcefulness.

While doing some recent fieldwork for this column and another project, I returned to my high school alma mater, Lincoln High. Specifically, I went to observe first-hand the Lincoln Warriors Wrestling Club in action in the LHS wrestling room. I did some interviews, then returned for the club's annual Winter Classic Tournament. I was very impressed with noteworthy leadership aspects in this sport-specific and physical fitness youth-level program for ages 4-14.

As a side note, it was at Lincoln High School, of the distant past, in a sociology course taught by the championship-winning head wrestling Coach Thomas Christie that I developed a passion for wrestling with societal issues for the purpose of helping people within different population groups and was so inspired by Christie's influential teaching that I chose to pursue my university degree in sociology.

Rightfully so, many wrestlers continue to earn the prestigious reputation of being intense, tough competitors who, with a warrior mentality, wrestle with the power of heart. For an interesting, descriptive chapter on the power of heart, I recommend award-winning author Mike Chapman's "Wrestling Tough" book, where he summarizes, "Whether heart can be taught is open to debate, but it can be observed and, perhaps, imitated."

Yes, based on my sociological findings, "heart" can be observed, imitated and definitely exemplified. To date, a key highlight and turning point with my ongoing wrestling fieldwork was meeting and interviewing at length scholastic wrestler and Lincoln High alumnus Jordan White. Jordan is an accomplished student-athlete in his senior year at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and exemplifies the concept of cultivating heart.

He has been wrestling for a good 10 years that span three levels of competition: youth, high school and collegiate. White energetically shared, "As you grow through the levels, your maturity really sharpens and becomes like a chess match that you can apply to life. Wrestling has prepared you for all of life's challenges."