There Goes My Hero

I believe that you have to witness something or someone before you can be inspired to become it. I understand Neil Armstrong was not able to witness someone walking on the moon before he did it, but he might have witnessed the beginning of space travel. There are inventors and creators and pioneers that have been the first or the only people in the world to achieve or succeed in an act or position in life, but those are so rare. I'm thinking in terms of the challenge children face of sustaining healthy relationships when raised in a home of constant fighting, lying, beating, screaming, etc. Or the little leaguer who is taken to his first baseball game and is in awe of the professionals that are playing, so he goes home watches every inning of baseball he can possibly find. People and situations are constantly thrust upon us at such a young age, it's impossible to believe none of it influences you. Whether you stand firmly against ever wanting to do it (a son of a preacher becoming agnostic), or you let it clear a path for your entire life to follow, it all goes into building who you are. I also believe, whether I knew it or not, that my role model has been ever-so-present in my life from such a young age (immediately, as it were), that it was hard for me to realize who I was turning into. But without any doubt, and with pride, I can say that I would be privileged to model my life after my grandfather.

After two years of writing in this thing, I realize that I can be a bit intangible about so many topics. I have thoughts and ideas and angles to look at, but it's hard for me to stay grounded. I can assure you, this is not the case when discussing my grandpa. This is a man who has watched 88 birthdays come and go, but is still one of the sharpest tools in the tool shed. I use that analogy to not only blindly convince you of his mental prowess, but because he still can't help but get his hands on his tools and do some tinkering around the house. This is a man who takes care of my grandma with very limited assistance from a nurse and my parents, yet my grandma is 87 years old and spends the majority of her time in a hospital bed. His care has actually caused an increase in her condition at times. Yet, through the pain and difficulty he has faced, a task I'm not so sure I'd be up to face, he hasn't lost his optimistic nature with a slightly sarcastic tone, or his sense of humor with a sense of reality. He still get's her into her wheelchair, wheels her to the kitchen table, makes her dinner, encourages her to eat and drink everything on her plate, and maybe even make a pass by the front door before he lays her back down. And though she's battling through some form of Alzheimer and Dementia with the possibility of a stroke (none of us are quite sure), there is still a twinkle in her eye whenever he's around. And just when you think she has no idea what's going on, this exchange happens:

Al (My grandpa): [to the nurse] Hey would you like a cup of coffee before you leave?

The Nurse: Sure, that would be nice.

[they sit down and begin to talk]

Aggie (My grandma): [from the other room] You know, Albert is my husband.

This past Sunday's Bears game got me thinking about the role models we allow into our lives. Jay Cutler has taken considerable heat for not playing the second half of the NFC Championship game due to a knee injury. I've gotten past his decision not to play. I was most upset with his seeming lack of excitement when his team was fighting and clawing with their 3rd string quarterback, ending up 30 yards short of extending the game to overtime, possibly allowing for Cutler to get a start in the Super Bowl and a chance at redemption. We all know Cutler isn't a fan favorite, and has never claimed to be a role model. Down the road, Derrick Rose is making himself into one of the most elite role models you could imagine. A young man (25) who recognized the work require to be elite in the NBA, an athlete that refuses to give into the taunting, screaming, arguing, playground mentality of a current professional sport, an icon that stopped three teenagers leaving a Bulls game to roll down the window of his SUV to say, "Hey, man, just want to thank you guys for taking time to come out,"and a superstar that has "stop swearing" as one of his season goals because his mom told him 'people can read lips' (Riley: Rose is an NBA MVP).

These are the usual suspects when it comes to 'picking' role models. Athletes, celebrities, actors, politicians, talk show hosts, reality stars, whatever. The general trend is to find someone you see excelling on television and claim you want to live like them, follow in their shoes. But at some point, seeing people on TV doesn't translate to being able to follow their shadow. If you increase your work habit because you heard Derrick Rose spent his off-season shooting 3-pointers, then I guess that's a positive. But even hearing about all the great things Rose has done off the court doesn't mean you get to see them on a regular basis.

I was fortunate enough to not have to pick or find or choose my role model. I've been fortunate enough to witness a marriage of over 60 years, with a bond of love still so strong, my grandma, who doesn't recognize who I am, won't let her nurse have coffee with my grandpa without staking claim. I've been fortunate enough to witness a man who has never quit anything he can accomplish, who has never lost sight of the most important things in life, who still loves to laugh, who takes care of his family without hesitation, who unlike Colonel Slade (7:15 in), when faced with crossroad, not only knew the right path, but always took it.

Above all, I'm fortunate enough to have a man in my life that has given me a future to strive toward, a role model to brag about, and a hero to emulate. My grandpa always criticized my brother and I for ever wanting to buy a jersey with some athletes name on it. Trust me, the only name I want on my back, is Lazzerini.