Sunday June 12th, 2011 - Ann Arbor, MI/Kenosha, WI Although it doesn’t affect my personal life even a little, it made me feel warm and fuzzy all over to learn of the Miami Heat losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. The games weren’t the issue as much as it was shutting up the cocky mouth of LeBron James. Seeing him look like a lost little cub scout wandering all over the court during the most crucial times in the 4th quarter of several games absolutely warmed the cockles of my itty bitty heart. I’m sure the entire city of Cleveland loved it too, and I think they deserved it. I personally think the guy behaved like a big time selfish wanker by not just choosing to bolt his home town Cleveland Cavaliers after they kissed every square inch of his ass and all surrounding areas, but the method he chose to do it. He stuck it up all of the collective poop shoots of all the people who supported him the most on his way up the star ladder. I’ve frequently heard the saying ‘What goes around comes around’, but I can’t recall the time when I’ve seen it actually happen. This was definitely it, and I’m not ashamed to say it made my day to see the Heat players walk off the floor with blank looks on their pusses. I really think there is a big danger in having too much too soon in life. Struggle isn’t all bad, as it does teach humility and builds character. There’s a fine line as to just how much of it is necessary though, and at some point some kind of success is welcome to justify all the hard work that’s required behind the scenes. Some people have it easier than others. Look at the pro athletes of any major sport. Those kids have been coddled and protected from the real world like show animals since the first curly hair sprang up from underneath their prepubescent testicles, but in reality they need to get their asses chewed out as well. There is something positive to be taken from the experience of failure and dare I say it - LOSING, at least in small doses. I still remember today how my grandfather used to tippy toe the very fine line between busting my chops and keeping me humble, and encouraging me to hang in there and keep trying. It wasn’t only sports either, it was everything in life. This is a lot bigger than athletics, it’s human nature. A kid like LeBron James is handed the keys to a Lamborghini of a body in high school, while most of the rest of us are barely able to keep our zits under control or random erections from popping up out of nowhere. None of this is fair, but life has never been fair so why start now? It is what it is, and we as a society worship physical prowess way more than mental aptitude. LeBron James is a millionaire hundreds of times over at age 26 just because he can run, jump and slam dunk a basketball, while I’m pushing 50 and am thrilled my ’new’ car is only seven years old. We live in two different worlds, and my being glad about his not winning a title will not affect him in the least. He’s still a bazillionaire, and has a bunch of chances to get the ring he missed out on this year in future years. I’ve got my own problems, but this pleases me. I think the reason it does please me so much is that deep down I wish I could have had a chance to be in the limelight as a star athlete. Who of us wouldn’t want to experience that kind of wealth, fame, power and attention? Again, it’s human nature, and it frightens me. We really are delicately wired creatures, and true happiness in this lifetime is extremely rare from what I’ve seen. Very few of us are satisfied, and if we are it’s never for any long period of time from my observation. We always want more, and I guess that’s ok, it keeps us striving and working to improve, but very few of us are ever in a state of contentment. Many times I’ve read in books where ‘the joy is in the doing’ or ‘the adventure is in the journey’ or something else very closely worded that basically says ‘There’s no magic way to happiness - enjoy what you have while you have it.’ That’s not always what we want to hear as human beings, and it tends to leave a big hollow hole right in the middle of us all. This is way deep, and I don’t know what the answer is other than to keep slugging it out and trying to enjoy the positive parts of every day. That’s not always easy, but it’s truly all we have so if I don’t learn to do it I’m not guaranteed anything at all. ‘Success’ is elusive, or at least it has as many definitions as there are people. We all get to choose what ours is. Is LeBron James a success? I bet he has his doubts at the moment, even though he plays on the second best basketball team in the world, and has an iron clad contract that will be more than he, his kids or his kids’ kids can spend for the next fifty years. I’d say he’s ok. He lives and works in the best part of Miami, and he got to choose that lifestyle and get his ass kissed by many other teams who wanted him to go there. He got tours of cities and press conferences and I’m sure he ate the finest food in every place he went and it was all FREE. Who wouldn’t want to get that kind of treatment at least once during this lifetime? That’s why human nature scares me so much. We’d all be lying if we said we wouldn’t at least like a little sample of what that’s all like. It’s pleasure vs. pain. Human nature is a big game of craving pleasure and avoiding pain, even though pain can sometimes help us improve. Everyone wants to eat whatever we want, but nobody wants to exercise it off. I really think having that mentor figure who can put the hammer down is very important in everyone’s life - especially big stars. I don’t think LeBron James had a father in his life so part of his arrogance and ignorance can be blamed on that. After a certain age, nobody would say no to him - even when he needed it the most. No wonder he made bad choices. I read where Brett Favre’s father Irv was the only one who could control him, and when he died Brett became a maniac. It sure makes sense after seeing how he’s handled his life the past few years. Is he ‘successful’? To most people, yes. But he a spoiled little brat too. Even the Beatles dealt with it. Brian Epstein was their manager and had them dressed in suits with their haircuts. It was a calculated look with a plan. When he died, they all went out and did whatever they wanted. Are any of these people happy? I’d love to ask them.
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