What’s Important
This is a picture taken of Brandon Millsaps, the guy responsible for getting me into CrossFit over 4 years ago. I saw it this morning and it made me realize how important it is to stop and recognize the journey and that's its ok to forget about the destination every once in a while. Its very important to have goals and setting these goals are vital if you are trying to achieve something. However, it is so easy to lose sight of all the incredible things that have happened to lead us on our way to this goal.
I think back to some of the conversations I had with Brandon and how ridiculous I must have sounded. We would talk about CrossFit and I would argue about how my back/bicep, chest/tricep workouts were so effective for me and that it just didn't make sense for me to switch from a program that was working:) It is really incredible how patient he was with me….if I was him, I would have just slapped the hell out of me and dragged me to the box and made me try a workout. Instead, he just offered tidbits of information until I was ready to give it a try. It took close to 6 months before this happened. I did one workout and never looked back. I remember once I was addicted, I would drive down to Columbia and workout in his garage with him and he would teach me about the Olympic Lifts. I remember getting crushed by trying to snatch 155# and could barely clean and jerk 215#. Now it is frustrating for me if I miss a 275# snatch or 345# clean. These numbers wouldn't matter for a second if Brandon hadn't taken the time to teach me about this amazing sport. Brandon is an awesome guy and amazing Coach. He and his wife, Bobbi opened up Sport of CrossFit in Columbia. If you ever find yourself near their box, stop in, it will be well worth it.
Even more significant of Brandon teaching me about CrossFit is the realization that the only reason we are able to get out of bed in the morning and go into the gym to hit our workouts is because men and women like Brandon rise and fight the good fight to give us this chance. I served in the Marines for 8 years and I am guilty of overlooking these sacrifices just as much as anyone else. I will go days without thinking of those that are fighting for our freedom, instead, I am worrying about insignificant things that are out of my control. We need to be conscious of our military, not just on holidays when it is convenient and popular to fly an American Flag, but everday. They give up the luxuries that we don't even consider luxuries…..8 hours of sleep at night, hot meals, hot showers, kissing our kids goodnight, a/c…these are things that we have never dreamed of going without. I have had it with the news and I won't get into politics…well maybe just a for a minute. All that matters is that we need to understand the sacrifices that so many are making for us and then teach our kids about these sacrifices so that they grow up as proud as I did to live in this country. My tolerance for ungrateful people ran out a long time ago. If I hear one more story about Aaron Hernandez on the news….who cares about Aaron Hernandez, if he is guilty, I hope he rots in prison for the rest of his life. How about running some stories on the news that matter….how about showing a unit's homecoming after a 7-month deployment. How about showing an awards ceremony, decorating combat veterans for their acts of heroism. How about going to Parris Island and showing a documentary of what so many brave men and women are signing up for. How about running a story to help a widowed mother of 3 who has to explain to her kids over and over why their dad never came home from his deployment. Maybe if we saw more of these things on TV, things that actually matter, our country wouldn't be falling apart and all of us that have never fought for the freedom in which many of us take for granted, would understand the sacrifices that so many have made and are making this very second, as they are thousands of miles away.
Saw a great example of what happens when someone grows up with no morals….watch this video…read the article here about this “hero”. This type of behavior makes me scratch my head in amazement. The crazy part about this is that the Senator admits that most likely there will be no punishment for his actions.
