Go Green(e)

 

Greatness of character is always something to be cheered.

It’s about time. That’s what I thought when I read that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to retire Mean Joe Greene’s # 75 this season. This is big news especially since the Steelers have not retired a number in over fifty years, simply because that’s not the Steeler way.  They couldn’t have picked a finer human being to make an exception for  than one a coach once described as a fort on foot.  

With all due respect going green and helping the environment is a noble thing.  However, even more noteworthy is when people take difficult situations and poor behavior and turn it into something good. Take Mean Joe Greene for example.  For when it comes to being a man of great character I believe he can teach us how to Go Green(e) :

1-Have grit

Joe Greene was the very definition of grit and determination coming out of a small school in Texas in 1969.  The Pittsburgh Steelers saw promise in him and drafted him fourth overall much to his dismay because he knew the Steelers were a losing organization. 

However, the Pittsburgh faithful were not quite sure what to make of the 6-4, 275 pound mountain of a man.  Days later a newspaper headline read posed this question, Who’s Joe Greene?  Mean Joe, who was a rare combination of a defensive player who was both mobile and hostile, answered that question with a resounding Hall of Fame career and a relentless pursuit to be the best. 

2-Make others better.

From every article and interview I ever read or heard about him Mean Joe hated to lose.  He also made his intentions very clear to those around him in the Steelers’ locker room.  Early in his career this was detrimental, however his insatiable desire to be the best seemed to be contagious as was proof in the Steelers four Super Bowl wins.

3-Pick others up.

The picture that best illustrates Joe Greene is the one above of him single handedly picking up an injured teammate.  Greene performed this merciful act during a playoff game in the early seventies when wide receiver, Lynn Swann, was knocked out cold by devastatingly brutal hit from an Oakland Raiders’ defender. 

 Joe said later he did it so the team didn’t have I had to waste a time out on Swann.   However, it seemingly inspired Swann so much that he played two weeks later in the Super Bowl and was the game’s MVP. 

4-Be excellent. 

Mean Joe was twice named NFL defensive player of the year, was a ten time pro bowler and was named to the NFL and Pittsburgh Steelers All Time Team.  Not to mention he was also suitably inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Number Seventy Five was a special player who had the unique ability to take over a game when needed, making him nearly unstoppable.  For instance, Greene once had five sacks in one game against the Houston Oilers which propelled the Steelers to victory and the playoffs that year.  

5- Learn gentleness.

Greene had many great attributes, but unfortunately all heroes have flaws and his poor sportsmanship was his weakness. Especially in his younger years, Greene lived up to his moniker, Mean Joe.  The notorious list included getting kicked out of games in high school, spitting on Dick Butkus,  kicking a Cleveland Brown offensive tackle, and  snapping a football prematurely while the other team’s offense was setting up to run a play.

Then in 1979, he made a sixty second commercial that allowed the world to see him in a gentler and kinder light.  To this day the iconic Coke commercial when Joe Greene throws his jersey at the kid who gives him a Coke still has to be one of the best. Greene showed us it’s never too late to change.

The best way to Go Green(e) is to turn you anger into kindness.

Swavel

 

Forward Motion

 

 

 

"Swift and resolute action leads to success; self-doubt is a prelude to disaster.” Joseph Addison

The word maybe might be the most allusive word in the entire English vernacular. Just saying the word tends to evoke doubt, instead of a straight answer it leaves the outcome to chance. 

Here’s a few examples:

-Maybe, due to times being so hard, I’ll lose my job?

-Maybe sometime soon I will get my act together?

-Maybe it was someone else’s fault?

-Maybe I should exercise more and eat healthier?

-Maybe I will finally catch a break and things will go my way?

-Maybe I should stop complaining so much and enjoy life more?

-Maybe today I will pull myself out of my funk?

-Maybe I will start taking responsibility for my actions?

The last question reminds me of a young man named Raymond, who I used to work with when I made sausage years ago.  One day while he was mixing a five hundred pound batch of sausage I saw a bag of seasoning standing directly behind him that he had neglected to add.  When I asked him if he had forgotten something, he shrugged his shoulders and sheepishly said, maybe?  His non-committal response only made me want to dump the seasoning on him.

That got me to thinking that instead of maybe living we should be exhibiting some forward motion. For examples, Columbus took a chance and discovered an entire new continent.  Peter used forward motion when he obeyed Jesus by getting out of the boat and walking on the water.  Moses, with God’s help, parted the Red Sea and then walked to the other side.  Abraham Lincoln was actively applying forward motion when he helped free the slaves.

 Even the fictional character, the Winter Warlock, in Santa Claus is coming to Town, put one foot in front of the other and switched from being bad to good.  And let’s not forget the one cut and run philosophy in football that Mike Shanahan invented that forces the running back to make up his mind and move forward gaining positive yardage.

There is a fine line between properly waiting and then there is hesitation fueled by doubt.   No one wants to be a fool and rush in where angels fear to tread.  On the other hand, no one wants to miss out on doing something significant with their life because they were afraid.

Forward motion simply sees an obstacle as part of the course and then scales over it.

Swavel

Favorite Neighbor

A good neighbor is someone who makes you feel welcome at all times.

Undoubtedly, Kass Detweiler is who Mr. Rogers had in mind when he said, “won’t you be my neighbor?”  To make a long story short, allow me to introduce you to my favorite neighbor.

Here are the basic facts:

Kass Detweiler and her husband, Al, have twelve children.  Three were born to her, nine were adopted.  Kass was a Pastor’s wife in a church in Allentown and then they moved to Boyertown where she now resides as my landlord for the last twelve years.  She and Al we instrumental in founding Spruce Lake Wilderness Camp in Canadensis, PA, a Christian retreat center.  Kass and Al were married over fifty years when Al changed his address to Heaven in 2005.  Kass loves the yard mowed once a week and I believe in Heaven, her yard will look immaculate. 

Here are a few stories:

Kass is a giver.  Often when I call Kass on the phone, it is to ask for eggs or milk or sugar or soy sauce or lawnmower money.  Whatever it is, this is how I start the conversation: “Hey Kass, this is your favorite neighbor.”  She always laughs, “So I hear, how I may help you?”

Kass doesn’t sugarcoat the truth.   When I was about four, I used to live next to Kass and Al, but I don’t remember much about it.  However once out of the blue, Kass clued me in on how I was as a kid. She said that I was a snotty nosed kid who was always wiping my nose.  Just Kass calling it the way she sees it. 

Kass treats my kids like her kids.  All my kids have had or still do have their picture on her bulletin board in her house where her family pictures hang.  This reminds me of the time my wife and I took Kass to our son’s high school graduation, where he was salutatorian.  After his moving speech, Kass, who was sitting next to me in the audience, turned to me and not so quietly said something like this, “I couldn’t hear a thing,” she said, “but I’m sure it was great.”  That night Kass taught me how just being there for someone is the best way to show you truly care.

No one can pray like Kass.   In June of 2012, we were in China and were adopting our youngest daughter.  However, we were having a tough time adapting to the time zone, culture, and just feeling lost.  Not to mention, the threat of a typhoon right as we were about to leave.  So, we called Kass in the middle of the night more than once and she prayed with all heart.  I swear that Kass Detweiler has a direct line to God and that He takes what she has to say into consideration.  No one else I know can use the word “crappy” in a prayer and get away with it. 

Kass is full of wisdom.  She once told me a story in regard to dying.  “Just like a parent has to call a child in from playing so he can eat supper, God the Father is not being ugly when you die and He calls us home.”  As she would say, like only Kass can, “It’s just time to come in.”

Here is the conclusion:

One day I believe that our kind and generous heavenly Father will bring us together once again.  And off in the distance I will hear, like only Kass Detweiler can exclaim, "Look who it is, it’s my favorite neighbor, how may I help you?"

To be a favorite neighbor, one must act the part.

Swavel

Kill the Bum

 

A game official puts his shirt on just like you and I; however, we are the ones who chose whether or not it has a bull’s eye on it.

Back in the day, when a questionable call would occur at a sporting event, you could often hear a certain refrain.  It would belong to an unhappy patron yelling kill the bum.   This universal obsession to blame the man in blue or zebra stripes seems to be prevalent in every sport and in every era.

Here are four options to entertain, instead of just yelling kill the bum:

1 Take personal responsibility.

During the World Cup of Soccer this year, I remember hearing on the radio that the Mexican coach was blaming the referee for their loss.  Unfortunately for him, from what I could gather, their poor play was what truly led to their defeat. 

Of course, the calls going against them made it more difficult to succeed, but good teams use adversity to fuel them.  A fellow softball coach once told me that if you lose a game due to bad call, you should have never left the game get that close in the first place.  Fate is not always kind. 

2 Don’t throw a fit.

A perfect example of how not to respond to an umpire’s bad call has got to be baseball’s famous pine tar incident.  The image of a ballistic George Brett as he came charging out of the dugout to confront the head umpire for having too much pine tar on his bat, is unforgettable.  Needless to say, the above picture aptly conveys that he certainly was feeling like killing the bum because the call had ultimately cost his team the game.

Eventually, his team, the Royals would win the game when they replayed the inning weeks later. However, that visual still stays with me as a testament that you can be right and still be in the wrong, if you lose your temper.

3 Try putting yourself in their shoes. 

A few years ago, during an NFL game, the Seahawks trailed the Packers by five points with seconds to go and twenty five yards to go for a score.    The Seahawks’ quarterback heaved a desperation pass into a group of players and it appeared that a Packers’ defender had intercepted the pass.  However, after the Packer fell to the ground a Seahawk player, grabbed onto the ball. One referee called it a touchdown and one referee called it an interception.  After a lengthy review the play stood and fans everywhere couldn’t believe what they had just seen.

The play has been dubbed the Fail Mary, because of how badly the referees blew the call.  However, the real story was that the poor referees doing the game were just replacements filling in for the real ones who were on strike.  In essence, these referees were doomed to fail sooner or later.  They had no professional experience doing mostly high school and lower level college games and were in way over their heads.  Frankly, anyone of us could have made the same poor call, if we had been in their shoes.

4 Be the bigger man.

Speaking of big men, BJ Raji, a 300 plus pound defensive player for the losing Packers appropriately summed up his feelings about the famed Fail Mary play.  He said this, “right now it’s a tough pill to swallow, but we’ll get over it.”

Sadly, I must confess that as teen I chose far too often to act like a raving lunatic when playing sports and the calls went against me. Consequently, somewhere in my adult years I discovered that being right doesn’t give me the right to act like a spoiled brat.  Over time, I also discovered that regardless of what the referee or umpire called that he was a human being too and tried accordingly to treat him as such.

Ask yourself this: if your child were old enough to officiate would you like someone to scream kill the bum at him?

 Swavel

By George

 

May we never forget America’s Independence wasn’t free; it cost many all the bravery they could muster.

This time of the year got me to thinking about the phrase home of the brave.  Of course, that comes from the last words in our National Anthem, in which the author was referring to America.   And we need look no further for someone who  best epitomizes true bravery than the example  set by George Washington.

Here are the givens regarding George Washington.   He was First President of our proud nation. He led the Crossing of the Delaware in the Revolutionary War. His wife’s name was Martha. And as a child, he chopped down a cherry tree which sadly was just an old wives’ tale.

Although, before one can be great there is a lot that goes into building that character. Strange thing about George Washington is that things didn’t always seem to go his way. 

While our First President reportedly stood 6’ 3  1/2”  tall, he was not traditionally regarded as being overly attractive.  It has been said that his facial appearance had been scarred as a result of small pox during his teen years and this apparently seemed to make his relationships with the opposite sex difficult.  Twice, women he proposed marriage to rejected his offer.  On top of that, his father passed away when he was eleven and he seemingly was raised by a domineering mother. 

Let this be a lesson to us all; appearances can be deceiving.  Although, the beginning of his story was difficult, George did not allow this to define his character and the man who he was becoming.

For example, nothing more embodies Washington’s bravery than when he was a young officer fighting in the French and Indian War.  It was July 9^th, 1755 when he quite frankly should have not survived, in a war which pitted the British against the French. Under the leadership of General Braddock, one of England’s most experienced officers, they went to battle seeking to forcibly evict the French from Fort Duquesne, which now is Pittsburgh, Pa.  However, the French, along with their allies the Indians were lying in wait for them in a heavily wooded ravine.

General Braddock’s plan of attack was the European approach in which the soldiers march in columns while staying in the open, never retreating.  Despite George’s warning, Braddock  refused to considering any other tactic than what worked in the past. Unfortunately, the British in their bright red coats were easy targets for the French and Indians who were hiding behind trees and rocks.   It was quite literally a massacre. 

After only hours,  more than half of the 1300 men were dead, Braddock among them.  On the contrary, only thirty or so of the French and Indians suffered fatalities.  Yet, somehow, by George, our first President survived.    History tells us that his coat had four bullet holes in it and that two horses were shot out from under him, yet he refused to retreat.

This, in his own words, is how he described his miraculous escape from death.  “ By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation.” In my opinion, using modern terms, he was claiming God had protected Him.  The Indians agreed, in principle. 

 

Years later, Indian soldiers swore that they had singled out Washington to kill him, but each time they fired at him they mysteriously missed.  The Indians sincerely believed that  an Invisible Power was watching over Washington.

 

The Father of our Nation was quite a man. Certainly when it comes to true examples of bravery, you need look no further that the example set by George.   

Bravery, unlike bragging, allows its actions to speak for itself.

Swavel

 

System Trouble

Why is it when things don’t go our way we often think someone is out to get us?

More times than not, I believe most of us want to do the right thing.  We don’t want to break the law. However, sometimes abiding by the rules can be complicated.

A few weeks ago, an alarm sounded without cause when I tried to enter a building at work.  Despite all my efforts I couldn’t turn off the annoying noise. Then a message came onto the screen of the alarm that read: SYSTEM TROUBLE.  Fortunately, I was only inconvenienced and got into the building through another door.  Aptly put, however, system trouble is another way to describe situations when things aren’t going our way.

For example, while still an exterminator years ago, there was a day I was running behind and thought I would take a short cut. That shortcut cost me a hefty fine.  While in my bug truck, which was stick shift, I was driving up a hill and did a California stop.  One where you come to almost a stop but keep moving so you don’t have to use your clutch as much.

However, there was a cop sitting there and I got busted.  He waved me over to a spot behind three or four other offenders, so he could write me a ticket.  As I sat in my bug tuck the officer kept apologizing knowing the ticket would put me behind schedule.  It left me feeling frustrated and a bit jaded toward authority.

Recently, I got another citation for unintentionally parking somewhere an authority figure felt was illegal.  The only reason I was even in the town was to help someone else out, which just added to my irritation level.  My hope was  the young officer who ticketed me would show a little  mercy, nevertheless there was none in his ink.  Definitely some system trouble, no need to get a little guy like me.

Needless to the say, I was wrong. When I truly think about system trouble, I think I am my own worst enemy.  For example, the other day I couldn’t find one of my favorite pens and wasted nearly half an hour trying to find it.  Dumb me.  In that case, system trouble began with my poor mindset

What I discovered that day was when I deem it worthy I don’t mind wasting time.  However, when someone or something cost me time or money it often infuriates me.  Then on top of it, I often waste time complaining about it and let it rule my thoughts.  A friend once said if we got a ticket every time we drove illegally, we’d all be broke.  He was right.

 As long as there are humans there will always be some kind of SYSTEM TROUBLE

Swavel

Destructive Appetite

Termites can be a homeowner’s worst nemesis, just like bitterness is the arch enemy of a broken heart. 

It has been my experience in life that we tend to ignore things that could be harmful, until we notice the damage. This is most definitely the case with termites that eat away at the foundation of a house costing the homeowner his peace of mind and quite a bit of money.  Bitterness also can cause significant damage as it eats away at your soul, often causing anger and irreparable harm to others and self.  Both are curable if treated in time.

For example, since I used to be a termite technician, over the years I’ve been in over a hundred basements.  During that tenure, I’ve seen where termites and their destructive appetites have eaten over half of the house’s foundation.  I’ve also seen when they were just in the beginning stages and when a mud tube was found.  In these cases, the termites didn’t surface again because the exterminator heavily treated the area with industrial strength termiticide.  With close scrutiny they are manageable, however if you ignore the warning signs they can do serious damage.

 Here are a few tips to alert you about termites:

- During the spring or early summer, be on the lookout for what appears to be flying insects in your doorway or basement, which swarm and then suddenly die.  Examine a few closely and see if they look like a cigar with wings.  A cigar with wings is a termite swarmer, if it has a pinched a waist it’s an ant swarmer.  If they are a termite swarmer you should call an exterminator for an inspection.  

- From time to time, when in the basement, check if there are any exposed beams and look for mud like tubes.  If so, be sure not to ignore it.  Take action by calling a professional for a inspection so he can  discover if there are live termites still active  in that tube. 

-If you buy or have bought a house which has been treated for termites you need to do some research.  Call or talk to the previous owner and get the run down on any paper work he might have as proof of past termite activity.   Houses with treated termite damage will sell as long as you are honest to the buyer about it.

So, as to give you clarity regarding our friend the termite, here’s a little pest anatomy. Termite workers are the class of termite that eats wood, are milky white, blind, and hate the light. Termites have a keen sense of smell, excellent hearing and stay underground as they spend their time finding wood to take back to the colony.  It takes a while for them to do significant damage to a structure, but once you have them in your structure you need to evict them and then take preventive measures to keep them out. 

Which brings me back to this: Bitterness is like a colony of termites.  At first, it bothers us and we wish we didn’t feel that way.  But, after a while we drop our guard and it begins to attack our foundation and steal our joy.  When someone becomes bitter often they become despondent or just plain mean.  Which often results in losing touch with those we love and makes it nearly impossible for their broken hearts to mend correctly.

This is too bad because the people who care about you are the ones who can help point out bitterness and help you eradicate it.  By all means don’t lock all the doors of your house and keep everyone out. 

To eliminate a destructive appetite you need to stop being bitter and invest in getting better.  

Swavel

 

 

Nodding Off

 

Make up your mind to do something and then do it.

 

The term nodding off is a common one.  However, it is something that till just the other day I have never really been able to define.  My definition of nodding off is when you dip your head in agreement with someone else during a moment of urgency.

 

Here is my list of six regarding the term nodding off:

 

1 Just the other day, I was at my middle daughter’s sixth grade graduation when I saw something very relevant.  As the kids came into the auditorium from the hall they were coming in by twos   as they walked toward the center aisle.   Then they paused, then nodded to each other in agreement and then proceeded down the aisle together.  It was like ushers in a wedding, using a silent mechanism to get in sync.

 

2 Another example is when you come to a four way stop sign and both vehicles get there simultaneously.  It’s that terse moment when both drivers look at each other and then one gestures or nods their head, giving the other the right of way. Nothing spoken, much accomplished, consideration expended.

 

3 The negative connotation of nodding off is the one I do just about every night around 9 pm, while trying to watch TV with my wife. Although annoying, I believe it is the result of waking up early in the morning to go to work. Some nights, instead of falling asleep, I just go to bed.  In my mind though, I will try to fight nodding off just so I can be next to my wife.

 

4 My favorite personal example of nodding off is from when I used to play flag football with my friends.  When I used to play receiver I could just look and nod at my brother-in –law, Ed, who was the quarterback, and he knew I would get open for him. It was unsaid, but quite effective.  On one given day, the two of us used this to perfection to whoop our teenage sons in a game of two on two football.   Peyton Manning, who plays for the Denver Broncos, does something similar to nodding off when he yells OMAHA to call a play and then waves his arms around like he’s playing charades.

 

5 Parenting in many ways is a great illustration of nodding off.  When my wife and I are out with the kids in public sometimes there is no time to be verbal. A quick hand signal can alert the other spouse to leap into action.  Gestures and non-verbal skills can often be imperative between parents to keep things running smoothly.  Inmates can never run the asylum. 

 

6 Last but not least, there is the nod to God.  To me it’s pretty simple as I seek to follow Him. At times, God asks me to do something that according to human reasoning seems crazy.   God can do anything He wants, although often He requests us to nod in agreement before He performs whatever miraculous task that is at hand.  Simply stated this is called faith.

 

Nodding off is the first step in ultimately succeeding at what you set out to do.

 

Swavel

Breathing Happiness

Happiness is a choice.

Kids say the darnedest things. Just a week or so ago my dentist was relaying a story to me, while fitting me for a crown.  During the procedure I was asked if I wanted anesthesia and when I declined it triggered her memory.  She said there was once a little girl patient she administered laughing gas to and described it like this: breathing happiness. That got me to thinking.

This past weekend, my family and I spontaneously decided to go to an amusement park.  As I observed people throughout the day, I noticed many folks who looked worn out, like life had gotten the best of them. The way they held themselves and the looks on their faces all seemed to scream that they were just trying to get by and make it through the day. I could sympathize since I knew the symptoms, because I once was like them.

Many years ago, I doubted I would ever be truly happy again. I was in the midst of a personal crisis and nothing seemed good at the time. Unfortunately I focused on the bad and was living a lot like Eeyore. My problem was that in response to tragedy I thought I needed to live life soberly. 

Living happily doesn’t mean you aren’t struggling, it just means you are not allowing it to run your life.  You fall down, brush yourself off, and get back up. No one wants to be around a Debbie Downer all the time. Adversity will change you, but make it be for the better.

Sometimes, when I get into a funk I try to name as many things as I can that made me happy recently. Here is some happiness I breathed in during the past week:

1- Kissing my wife. 2- Spending time with my kids. 3- Enjoying an amusement park with family. 4- Still having a job. 5- Reading baseball box scores. 6- Knowing both my vehicles are working. 7- Blogging once a week. 8- Receiving a new Starbucks mug from a friend. 9-Drinking coffee from said mug. 10- Eating Planters’ peanuts my wife got me. 11-Knowing God loves me despite me. 12-Hearing the birds sing in the morning. 13-Doing research for  fantasy football 14- Having pants that fit 15- Spending time in my nothing box

Why waste today, instead breathe in the happiness.

Swavel

Just sing

 

The Star Spangled Banner is intended to leave you with a lump in your throat.

Since we are celebrating Memorial Day it seems appropriate to discuss the Star Spangled Banner.  We all have pet peeves.  One of my biggest ones has to be when people who sing the National Anthem during a sporting event and try to make it their own.  My advice, which I often voice from my living room in the general direction of the TV, is just sing.

The song, in my opinion was meant to encourage the country, not to exalt an individual.  Not time to make it your own and bring attention to yourself and help give you career a boost.    

In 1990, Roseanne Barr showed us how not to sing the national anthem before a baseball game with an embarrassing performance laden with inappropriate humor.  Meanwhile, Whitney Houston showed her country the right way before Super Bowl XX when she brought the house down with stirring and most memorable rendition.  Since the National Anthem was written in reverence, it should be sung as such.

Here’s a little history.  For many years, I thought the Star Spangled Banner was written during the Revolutionary War.  However I was mistaken, it was actually written during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, in which we fought the British. 

The Francis Scott Key, who was a thirty five year old attorney at the time, was in the act of successfully helping a client be freed from the British.  However, he was detained by the British because the siege on Fort McHenry was under way.  It was there aboard a neutral vessel, about eight miles away, that the song writer was given a bird’s eye view of the American Fort .

Despite Great Britain’s best attempt to seize the city of Baltimore, by firing upon it ceaselessly for twenty five hours, they could not overtake the Americans.  Swept up by the moment of seeing the flag at Fort McHenry still flying as the smoke cleared in the morning, Francis became inspired and began to write. Thus in an act of pride, Key penned the patriotic words we now know as the Star Spangled Banner.

I don’t know about you, but I get a lump in my throat whenever I hear these words:  And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ;O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Play ball.

The best way to pay tribute to a song writer is to just sing it the song as it was intended.

Swavel