A Committed Life

January 25, 2012

Shortly before his death, Martin Luther King Jr. said this is how he would like to be remembered when his death would come:

“I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others.  I’d like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.  I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.  I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.  And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.  I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.  I want you to say that day that I tried to love and serve humanity. . .

“I won’t have any money to leave behind.  I won’t have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind.  But I just want to leave a committed life behind.”

There could be no greater tribute to this man than thinking about, and acting upon, these words this weekend, and well beyond.

Not Acting Like Grownups

December 26, 2015

Take a look at Fox Sports Detroit today, the second of two days replaying the 2015 MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field.

What I’d like you to see – what I’m most proud of – is the behavior of the players.

Score a touchdown? Then hand the ball to the official, without any childish end zone dancing.

Sack the quarterback? Then head back to the huddle, without any ridiculous pointing and prancing.

So different from the professional game.

But sadly, some of that bad behavior is settling to the college level; and sometimes, there’s even a hint of it in our high school games.

But for now, the players behaving most maturely are the youngest, and behaving least maturely are the oldest.