I should just call tonight’s post Beast Mode.
Time and time again I find myself drawn to Marshawn Lynch. I liked him as a player though only in passing. My youngest feels like he is the one true Running Back in the NFL. The kid loves him, and being the kind of father I am I find all sorts of videos and shows on the guy. The more I get to know about Lynch, the more I recognize that Beast Mode is a genuinely honest and open human being. Tonight’s lesson came from Bear Grylls, who took Marshawn through rough terrain as part of Grylls survival show. I laughed at the honesty and vulnerability Marshawn displayed. It was fantastic to see a man built on a foundation of toughness show that he can be afraid and he can still rise to the occasion in spite of that fear.
Lynch is exactly what I think of when we hear about athletes needing to be role models. He runs a social outreach network powered by his salary and the support of the city around it. Lynch gives scholarships and does youth outreach, but most importantly, he is unabashedly real. He’s street and doesn’t pretend he is not. Listen to how he talks and you know right away. Wait for a brief outburst of ‘that real’ and you will be rewarded. Grylls was. He brought skittles on their excursion, knowing the connection Lynch had to the candy his mother used to give him before games. Lynch responded by jacking the bag in the middle of the night, waking Grylls in the process.
Lynch is good people and as I watch my youngest emulate him, I am proud to see that happen. He chose a guy that is more than what you see on the surface.
Some Thoughts:
- The role of parents in the desires and successes of their children cannot be understated. Yes, at some point you must let them go and define their own path, but their energy or lethargy or desires can be traced directly back to the conditions under which they were raised. I watch this every day in my life and recognize that I am not always making the best kids.
- I ain’t making the worst kids either.