Heroes are NOT Heroes

What’s up people?

How my peoples out there doing? So I got some messages in my inbox after posting my last blog a week ago with the promise that I would SMILE for the rest of the summer. As I suspected many of you all that know me personally immediately wanted to call me out on my pledge and attempt to expose me as a FRAUD. So here is the deal, why did I get two traffic citations from two separate police officers within 20 minutes of one another last Saturday in some HILL-BILLY town (I will not mention names) and just kept it moving and SMILED. But there were a few other things that made me SMILE as well, how about out of nowhere on Sunday evening I get a call from my brother that the Nigerian National Basketball team is playing in the championship game in a tournament in Venezuela to qualify for an Olympic berth. Nigeria is hooping like that these days huh? Anyways, I turn on the T.V. and what do I see? All my Naija peoples were in the stands partying with the players after winning the tournament and shocking the basketball gods. Up Nigeria & Up Naija! But what got me really SMILING more than anything this week is the fact that my niece aka…“The First Lady” is celebrating her birthday this week. GOD is GOOD! Love Ya SoSo…

Ok people; let me get focused...

I am a sucker for a great quote every now and then. I mean I like their purpose and how they help to shape the mental make-up of a person. I also think many of them are useful but I am not one to be going around ramming off quotes to people especially when I recognize that the application of quotes are d**n near impossible for many of us. But one quote I heard several months back that still resonates with me often was when I heard a former Penn State football player during a television interview speak on the shock of what went down at his alma mater and the sadness it brought to his heart when contemplating the possible role of the once famed Joe Peterno, the man many revered and even liking to god in some circles could have played in the whole saga. His quote; “never put your trust in people, they will fail you ALL THE TIME”. When I heard that I was like WOW! But you know what, Todd Blackledge was 100% dead-on.

I have no interest in re-hashing the events that went on at Penn State this week but I do want to make one thing clear, the people we idolize, look-up to as our heroes or wish we could experience their successes are nothing more than just people like you and I. Everything we see on television is a production and far too many times, we are only privileged to see the finished product. We are so over-saturated with celebrity news and gossip 24/7 to the point that we start to actually think we know athletes, celebrities and entertainers we have grown to admire.

The harsh reality is every famous person is first human and as a human being we are all FLAWED. And unfortunately for them when s**t hits the fan in front of millions the crowd typically disappears. It is funny how today’s adults mirror the whole high school experience nowadays, It is all about being most popular, most fashionable, who comes from money, who has the fastest car and can get the most girls, etc... But the minute the band stops playing and the cheers go away, all that remains is our decisions, integrity and moral fiber.

Know Who You Are…