life lessons

I had this plan to post on behalf of my grandmother her analysis before each of the NBA finals games. But the stress of the hard-fought series made her clam up whenever I called her to discuss her team. You see she is a die-hard Lakers fan, rarely misses a game on TV or radio. She also watches tons of LA sports coverage and can usually be counted on to regurgitate some humorous basketball platitudes when she's put on the spot. So long as the pressure isn't too great apparently. My recent favorite basketball quote of hers came before game 1 and was in response to the question "Who do you think is the key for the Lakers besides Kobe?"
Grandma: "Ron Artest. I think he is key. "
Me: "Why? His Defense?"
Grandma: "Yes, his defense. Plus he's always good for a three. I like him this year. He's got a mean disposition, but I think he's misunderstood. And he's got soft hands."

Oh, this made me laugh for a number of reasons. First off, I can remember last year when Ron Artest was on the Houston Rockets and my grandma wondered aloud if he was mentally capable of living alongside stable citizens let alone being capable of playing basketball opposite such model citizens as Kobe Bryant. I'll not judge, I'll just turn the case over to the irony committee, thank you very much.

Second, it reminded me of my grandpa's famous description of the guy at the local recycling center. When taking aluminum cans and plastic bottles to the recycling center, my grandpa would engage The Recycler in conversation. He went out of his way to be gregarious and witty and just friendly. Without fail The Recycler would reply with what can liberally be described as a series of grunts. My grandpa would always walk away smiling as if they'd just had the most entertaining and engaging conversation. He'd get in the truck with me and without fail he'd say "Boy, that sucker has got the disposition of a snake." Man, that comment killed me. Early on, I loved it because it cracked me up to hear him use the word sucker. My mom often chided me when I tried to use the word conversationally. I once received a pretty severe grounding for replying to her query about whether I had finished my homework with "You betcha, sucker." To her it was a foul word, to my grandpa it was just one of the many colorful phrases he employed to our enjoyment. Later, I came to appreciate the snake metaphor he had used. It may have been my earliest appreciation of language. Now, I marvel at the memory for the resilience my grandfather showed. If somebody ignored me like that I'd be hurt and I sure as hell wouldn't go back to them the next time and try to talk to them all over again. Would I? Well, who knows what I would do. I feel all over the place lately. But, I do know that nearly every memory I have of my grandfather proves that he is a man beyond comparison; somebody who operated on quite a different level. I realize I romanticize his life a little but he sure isn't the worst person to have as a role model.

In stark contrast to my grandfather is the enigmatic, course and quite possibly insane small forward for the Lakers, Ron Artest. But last night, as my grandmother's beloved Los Angeles Lakers scratched their way toward their 16th NBA Championship, Ron Artest found himself in a position to succeed despite many previous failures in the series. For all his shortcomings as a basketball player and for all his lunacy (he thanked his psychiatrist in his post game interview) the man was what many of us struggle to be - he was resilient in the face of adversity. So the whipping boy for many of the Lakers struggles this year ended up saving their butts. In doing so I think he personified two classic John Wooden-isms:
-"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."
-"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."
In the end the Lakers won (Woohoo!) and my grandmother was proved right in her faith for the man many call "Tru Warier". Congratulations.

But let's not gloss over John Wooden here (pictured). The great UCLA basketball coach who influenced so many, including this USC fan in a small way, passed away recently. I really wish I could write a better farewell, but I really doubt I can add anything new to the discussion. Plus, I don't like it when people over-dramatize these situations to prove in some way that they cared more than the people actually affected. So I'll just say, that as a person who often looks for inspiration in the lives and words of some great individuals who did things the right way, I look often towards the words of John Wooden to help me try to live right and always improve myself. In particular his quote:

Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

has more than once lifted me way up when I was feeling way down. In a world in which there seem to be so few, he was one of the good guys. Thanks for that.