Kids

Date: Jun 11, 2009


Great Kids

Current mood:humbled
Category: Life

There has never been an instance where I have met a child where I have been impressed enough to write about them...other than my own children...But I have come across a third grade boy who is incredible.

It's not just one thing either...it is EVERYTHING about this kid that makes him special...I can't believe I am saying this...but...I want to be like this kid. He is polite, focused, driven, smart, respectful and he is a hustler...the kid is constantly hustling around. Oh, did I mention that he is on my son's baseball team?

The reason it is so impressive to me is that there is such a lack of other kids who have it together like this kid. If you ask him to do something...anything, you are likely to hear "yes sir!" and nothing else...WHOA! Where do kids like this come from? Well, I happen to know his father and it is not by accident that he has an awesome son. You see, it takes a man to raise a man and his father is a pillar in the community.

So many people focus on the bad that is going on in the world, I know I have at times, but so few people focus on the good that people are doing. It is my opinion that whatever we focus on expands...so why in the hell are we, as a culture, fixated on the negative NEWS? To be honest, I have long since turned off the news, and I really don't think I am missing anything. Nope, I would rather focus on kids like Jalen...he is worth knowing and even studying.

I think the best thing we can do is to let kids and parents know that their kids are awesome....there isn't enough good feedback going around or positive encouragement. It's tough these days to raise a good kid, so the parents need to know as well. I do make it a point to let parents know when I see their kids do something nice or good for someone...and why not? The only other times parents ever hear about their kids is when they are in trouble. I want to be the guy who has something good to say about children.

There are a lot of great people out there and when I watch kids like Jalen I can't help but feel like I am watching a future American leader...one that I would get behind. I will keep my eye on him because I know that he is going places...you can't hold back kids like that. In fact, to do anything other than support them and encourage them would be a crime....and I am not speaking figuratively. Somebody needs to bookmark this blog entry and hold onto it for 20 years to see that I was the one who called it. I KNOW GREATNESS and I recognize it not only in my little friend, but I recognize it in his father as well.

His dad is setting an example of what it means to be a man and I respect him to the core for all of his public service work as well as his time in the military. If there were more people like him, we wouldn't have a lot of the problems that we have today. Problems start at home and they can end at home. We all need to take accountability for our selves and our children. But what I am most impressed with is the fact that it takes a solid character who knows himself to raise a young man the way that this father is raising his son. It is not just a firm hand that he is using to raise his son....it is deeply personal, and I suspect spiritual in a way...He is showing his own character through the way that he is raising his son and it is awesome to witness. This is the new way, which was the old way, to raise young leaders.

I have been frustrated by my son's first season of baseball, but I have learned far more than I bargained for and am humbled by the growing spirit of third grader and his father.

Lessons are all around us, and we don't always learn the lesson we were hoping for.

Sincerely,

Rob