I wrote this in 2004 to the Y membership
My six-year old son Brooks got a soundtrack CD from the movie Holes for Christmas. He begged me to play it so that we could listen to it in the car. The first song on the track was this RAP song, and I instantly hit eject and said, “Listen to that stuff on your walkman!” You see, I am not a big fan of rap music. The Michael McDonald sings Motown CD was more my style.
A funny thing happened over the holidays, though. Brooks memorized the rap song within 24 hours and was constantly singing it throughout the house. “Give me that head set. I want to hear that song,” I exclaimed. The words actually had this great message. I was amazed at what my son was spouting! Here is a verse.
When I was young I used to dream of being rich.
I’d have a lot of houses and cars, Couldn’t know which one was which.
And finding me a chick and getting hitched
Living the fairy tale life without a hitch.
You’d think that this would bring me happiness
If at the end of every rainbow there was a treasure chest
Sometimes having more is really less
So take a look inside yourself and you’ll realize you’re really blessed
No matter how inside you’re blue
There’s always someone who has it worse than you
Sometimes you gotta pay your dues
So don’t worry just push on through.
Got to big up all my peoples who be working on the future
Though they know they got to struggle
To all my homies working on the 9 to 5
And doing right to keep themselves up out of trouble
Although sometimes I know it seems impossible
There ain’t no need in drowning in your sorrows
If things are as bad as they can be
You can be sure there’ll be a brighter tomorrow.
Keep’n it real
Aren’t we like that most of the time? We create an opinion on something before we have truly experienced it. I didn’t like rap music, yet I really had never listened to the words. My son doesn’t like broccoli, and he’s never tasted it. Be it music, race, gender, ethnicity, or vegetables, we are all guilty of being too quick to judge and form opinions.
My goal for 2004 is to not only open my eyes and ears a little wider, but to open my heart. I hope you will join the YMCA as we discuss and celebrate the diversity around our community. Who knows, we might learn a little about each other and ourselves, and we can all be “biggin’ up all our peoples!”
April 22, 2010
April 11, 2010
15
I created a monster. About three years ago, I was trying to work in the yard but the kids kept bothering me. “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do,” they whined. April banished them from the house because there is only so much TV you can watch! “Dad, do something with us or take us to the Y!”
So I made up the game 15.
It wouldn’t be so bad except that I told them that I was the neighborhood champion. In fact in the summers all of the neighborhoods in Greenville got together and I won the Greenville “15” Championship too. In fact I was so good that I won the SC State Championship and was a hamstring pull from being in the 1983 Olympics. (There wasn't an '83 Olympics)
Do you think I laid it on a little too thick?
Well “15” takes a regulation baseball toss back and you take turns throwing a small kick ball off the back stop and trying to get the opponent to miss the ball. The first person to get 15 points loses. I shared with them the intricacies of the service point, the dink, the over head slam, and the skillful fake and let the ball go long play.
And I killed my kids at “15.” We would play one on one or as three and also we would coax April out and all four of us would play. I never lost. Trash talking, arguing, crying, turned ankles, scraped knees and hurt feelings…I’ve never lost.
Until last week. We all four were playing and they must have conspired to beat me because Ryanne would give Brooks nice soft bounces and Brooks would slam the unreturnable overhead slam. When I got to 10 I told them I knew what they were doing and they just giggled and denied any conspiracy.
I tried the divide and conquer. “Don’t let her do this to you Brooks. She knows the only way she can win is to eliminate me and then she will beat you!” That almost worked but MOM was still in the game and her cooler head brought them back to the goal….“BEAT ME.” So they did.
Today we painted lines in the driveway so some of the arguing about in or out would cease. I have beaten them both since my defeat. I am back on top. If you drive by the house check out the court. Maybe even play a match or two! And be cautious when the two siblings are being nice to each other!
So I made up the game 15.
It wouldn’t be so bad except that I told them that I was the neighborhood champion. In fact in the summers all of the neighborhoods in Greenville got together and I won the Greenville “15” Championship too. In fact I was so good that I won the SC State Championship and was a hamstring pull from being in the 1983 Olympics. (There wasn't an '83 Olympics)
Do you think I laid it on a little too thick?
Well “15” takes a regulation baseball toss back and you take turns throwing a small kick ball off the back stop and trying to get the opponent to miss the ball. The first person to get 15 points loses. I shared with them the intricacies of the service point, the dink, the over head slam, and the skillful fake and let the ball go long play.
And I killed my kids at “15.” We would play one on one or as three and also we would coax April out and all four of us would play. I never lost. Trash talking, arguing, crying, turned ankles, scraped knees and hurt feelings…I’ve never lost.
Until last week. We all four were playing and they must have conspired to beat me because Ryanne would give Brooks nice soft bounces and Brooks would slam the unreturnable overhead slam. When I got to 10 I told them I knew what they were doing and they just giggled and denied any conspiracy.
I tried the divide and conquer. “Don’t let her do this to you Brooks. She knows the only way she can win is to eliminate me and then she will beat you!” That almost worked but MOM was still in the game and her cooler head brought them back to the goal….“BEAT ME.” So they did.
Today we painted lines in the driveway so some of the arguing about in or out would cease. I have beaten them both since my defeat. I am back on top. If you drive by the house check out the court. Maybe even play a match or two! And be cautious when the two siblings are being nice to each other!
April 1, 2010
Competitive Spirit
Anyone that doesn’t believe in the power of leadership needs to look no further than this year’s North Carolina basketball team and compare it to last year’s team. Oh, I know that there was tremendous talent on last year’s team but they had something extra….they had leadership.
I would wager a month’s salary that the tempo, effort and tenacity at practices with last year’s team were far greater than this year’s team. Do you think for one minute that Tyler Hansbrough wouldn’t fight his teammates on their lack of desire this year? Now that would be one locker room brawl that would be good pay per view.
Some people or teams have that. Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had that. I bet Tom Brady, Ronnie Lott and Joe Montana had that. I believe that all great teams and great businesses have that employee or department that sets the pace. They don’t allow the business to fail. And if you are holding the team back, then you need to be culled out from the herd.
These are the people that when the challenge comes forward, they step up and say, “Put me in coach, I am your guy!”
“Don’t worry about a thing,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 17:32)
You have to love the visual image of this scrawny kid with a few rocks and a sling shot stepping forward to fight the giant. The look on the Israelite’s faces went from utter fear to a tremendous confidence.
This edge isn’t just confidence, this competitive edge is the entire package. This leader works hard, is always prepared. Is disciplined in their life and they are looking for people to follow them.
Pray today that you want let the naysayers and the challenges conquer you. Ask God to fuel your competitive spirit so that you can lead your team, your family, your business. Always remember and lift up those great leaders around you that paved the way for you.
I would wager a month’s salary that the tempo, effort and tenacity at practices with last year’s team were far greater than this year’s team. Do you think for one minute that Tyler Hansbrough wouldn’t fight his teammates on their lack of desire this year? Now that would be one locker room brawl that would be good pay per view.
Some people or teams have that. Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had that. I bet Tom Brady, Ronnie Lott and Joe Montana had that. I believe that all great teams and great businesses have that employee or department that sets the pace. They don’t allow the business to fail. And if you are holding the team back, then you need to be culled out from the herd.
These are the people that when the challenge comes forward, they step up and say, “Put me in coach, I am your guy!”
“Don’t worry about a thing,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 17:32)
You have to love the visual image of this scrawny kid with a few rocks and a sling shot stepping forward to fight the giant. The look on the Israelite’s faces went from utter fear to a tremendous confidence.
This edge isn’t just confidence, this competitive edge is the entire package. This leader works hard, is always prepared. Is disciplined in their life and they are looking for people to follow them.
Pray today that you want let the naysayers and the challenges conquer you. Ask God to fuel your competitive spirit so that you can lead your team, your family, your business. Always remember and lift up those great leaders around you that paved the way for you.
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