It's Only Been 20 Years

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About twenty years ago I wrote a book called Waldorf & Juli.

In that book Waldorf was at a baseball game with his father and they were talking about how fast life goes and how sometimes it all appears to be just an episode in breaking down. Waldorf's Dad explains that even though he's now an old man, he still feels like a young man, and that he can't believe how much the breakdown devastates.

He tells Waldorf:

At the end of our lives we all have half an ounce of pain and an ounce of gold in our ledger.

He asks Waldorf to close his eyes and imagine Mickey Mantle (who was still alive when I wrote the book).

What do you see in your mind when you think of Mickey Mantle? He's a big, strong man swatting home runes and running like a deer, right?

Well, Mantle is actually a broken down old man now. He can't run. He can't throw. He can't hit a ball a hundred feet. But he did it once, and he did it so well that it's how he will be remembered forever, even after he dies.

We all should try and live that way.

So when the memory of us is brought to mind...people will see us at our best...and remember how great we were. We should strive to be remembered as great...even through the pain.

First off...I can't believe I wrote that as a pretty young man. I know that I was thinking of my Dad back then...and I remember him as great. I close my eyes and still see him as great as Mickey Mantle was on the baseball field.

Secondly...when I saw the above photo of Jim and Thurman I thought about how great they were as football players.

It also blew my mind that it was only 20 years ago that they were young, and strong, and really great players.

Perhaps it's knowing how sick Jim is.

Maybe it's seeing them in a hospital room doing a puzzle, but the photo both saddened me and invigorated me.

We all should try and live that way.

So when the memory of us is brought to mind...people will see us at our best...and remember how great we were. We should strive to be remembered as great...even through the pain.

I really, really hope that twenty years from now I'm looking at another shot of Jim and Thurman hanging out.

I have a feeling that I'll close my eyes and see them as strong, young and tough.

We should all try and live that way.

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