my thoughts on lebrons letter: let me start with quoting the ending of the great gatsby: And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning —— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. lebron left home to seek, and he returns as a man better for his travels but with an appreciation for the place he left. this mirrors my experience in a way. i would not be the man or the quality professional in my field had i stayed in northeast ohio. my experiences all over the country have made me a better person and leader. but my affinity for the place my extended family has established as home never faltered. if anything, leaving made me appreciate northeast ohio that much more. there is a certain je ne sais quoi about this place. it is nothing special to the outsider. in fact, it is often the butt of jokes and insults. but those slinging the jeers dont get it. we have struggled together. we have had to bind together. our bonds are forged in a deeper intrinsic way than can be understood by others. if we travel out of state or abroad, we can identify and instantly re-unite with a simple o-h... our hearts have been collectively broken so many times that we had no choice but to come together. i know, i know, you think we are just talking about sports. but it is more than that. its who we are. sports are just an easy-to-identify example of our collective down-trodden-ness, which is why it actually hurts when espn shows our failings and mocks us. it is striking us at the core. lebron realized that there are more important things than sports. he realized that he has an opportunity to make this place better. to positively affect our collective malaise and melancholy. he offers hope. as a Christian, of course, i know that there is a hope that is infinitely greater, and i rest my ultimate hope in Christ. but the hope that lebron offers is still real and important. he represents the best of us. when our champion left to become a champion elsewhere, it hurt. badly. northeast ohio wasnt good enough for him; or at least thats how it felt. how could he abandon us? we want to be champions too! but he realized that the search for more only leaves one empty in the end. he now sees the value in hope. he sees that hope can revitalize an entire area. folks from around the country do not even know the outward expressions of joy seen around the entire area yesterday. complete strangers were yelling to one another that hes back! our champion is back. and he values us. the best of us is now once again part of the rest of us. and we welcome him. i thought i would yell or pump my fist when hearing the news of his return. instead i had a churning deep in the pits of my stomach. tears actually welled up. its not because of sports. it was because our brother who once was lost to us, now has returned. i may be overstating things a bit, but i am naturally sensitive. i may be hyperbolic, but i am naturally emotional. all i know is that when the best person in his/her field elects to come back to our area, it affirms who we are and that we are going to be ok. others can bash us but now it will not hurt. let the whole world know that this place is not a mistake, that these people are not a bunch of losers. we are good enough for the best; we deserve it. lebron has simply affirmed it to us and the world.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 13:50:25 +0000
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