Mom, New Years Resolutions, Tim Tebow, etc.

Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn Tebowing.  Rumor has it she wants a date with him.

A friend asked me yesterday about my New Years Resolutions.  I responded that I do them throughout the year.  At a young age I would share my plans and goals with my mom and tell her when I would implement them.  Her response was always the same, "Well that sounds like a good plan.  Why don't you start right now?  Why would you wait?"  And so I don't. 

This is the same mom who chastised me when I was a young and whiny wuss.  For example, I have a great friend, David Shephard, who always jumped higher than me in high school and college.  He was MUCH taller and faster than me.  So one morning my mom reads the paper and she sees that David had vaulted 15' 6" at a big high school meet.  I said, "Well he grips 15' 6"".  To which my mom says, "It doesn't say that in the paper.  It just says he jumped higher than you.  Why don't you grip 15' 6"?"  When I responded that I didn't have the speed or talent she said, "So David should be punished for that?"  Harsh but I needed that lesson at that point.

David was one of my best friends and the nicest guy in the world.  You couldn't NOT love him but why did he have to be so much better?  That's just the way life is.  Like Clint Eastwood said as Dirty Harry, "A man's got to know his limitations."  GREAT mom to take the unpopular yet truthful approach.  May she rest in peace.

I'm not a fan of Herbert Cain at all but, like my mom, he will tell you how it is whether you like it or not.  He once said, "If you want to be, and you aren't educated or rich you only have yourself to blame because people who started with far less than you have accomplished this".  FACT!

So that brings me to Tim Tebow.  A year ago I was very anti Tim Tebow because he thought as a rookie he could march into a professional football team's locker room and change their culture.  When he first asked for a group prayer they told him to "Shut the F up and sit down".  To me at the time that's what he deserved.

But being proud to have an open mind, I have become a big fan of Tim Tebow.  The mind is like a parachute and works best when open.  Not Tim Tebow, the quarterback, person, Christian, etc.  But Tim Tebow the determined spirit and force to be dealt with who has remained humble through all of this criticism.  My two favorite quotes about his constant reference for his love of Jesus was, "You don't just tell your wife you love her the day you get married, or you mom on her birthday".  I'm a Christian and I would never burden someone else with my beliefs but I think his reasoning is well founded.  In his book he says he uses the platform as a way to say thank you to the Lord.  He understands that the size of the platform will shrink over time but he will still use it now and forever.  Again, that's not me but I respect the reasoning. The other thing he said was "I'm quite sure that God could care less about football, me playing football or who wins.  But he does care about how I conduct myself whatever I do."

So what does this have to do with pole vaulting?  To be successful you must have undying spirit and conviction that you can get better, no matter what anyone else thinks.  My mom taught me a great lesson early when I realized that I just wasn't as talented as many of the other vaulters.  If I really wanted it I would have to work longer and harder than the rest.  As we know, at the highest levels of anything in life EVERYONE works hard and smart so you had better be strengthening that muscle between the ears.

For three years my mom fought death and declining health. Three times we were called to her bedside for last rites only for her to come back.  She wouldn't even give up facing death, and neither will I.  Back to the grind baby!  Tomorrow is another brick in the wall!  Thanks for being here!  Bubba

Today's get off your ass and do something message to myself is Drowning Pool's, "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor"  Join me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO_QntXc-c4