My Heroes Are Almost Gone

Coming from a small Texas town most my heroes were athletes.  At 70 years of age most of my heroes are gone.  The next to last one passed away this week, Darrell K. Royal.  In Austin he is just known as "Coach".  I was fortunate enough to have friends who arranged a couple of golf games with Coach when I first arrived in Austin.  These were some of the best experiences of my life.

Coach was a kind, tough, competitive gentleman, and a damn good golfer.  We played at a fast, in fact, frenzied pace.  When groups in front of us saw Coach coming they pulled their golf carts over to the side of the fairways and let us through.  Not out of fear, but out of respect.  After our golf games we went into the dining room for lunch and, Coach removed his golf cap.  He expected others to do the same.  It was not my practice at the time.  It has been my practice ever since and will continue to be.  Associations with Coach improved peoples lives.  God bless him.

All of my other heroes except one are gone now.  They include Mickey Mantle, Johnny Unitas, Don Meredith, and Tom Landry.  I am not sure what qualities these gentlemen share that appealed to me so much.  They were all great at what they did.  They loved their professions.  They were intelligent.  They were fierce competitors.  They were winners.  They weren't perfect but they never let their fans down.  They were just plain old fashioned heroes.

And to no ones surprise I have one hero from the political field, "The Gipper".  Ronald Reagan served in politics as he played the role of the famed Notre Dame coach, Knute Rockne.  He had every trait listed above and was gifted with the skills to communicate his values in simple understandable terms.  He stood on his principles like a rock.

I have one female heroine, Audrey Hepburn.  The actress who captured my attention in Breakfast At Tiffanys had many of the traits of the gentlemen, and she was gorgeous.  She concluded her career serving the world in UNICEF.  I made a sales call on them years ago in New York City and there was this huge picture in the lobby honoring her.  She was the real thing.

I have one hero left, and he is not a sports hero.  He is a minister for the Lord.  His name is Billy Graham.  He has the same traits:  greatness, pride in his mission, intelligence, competitiveness (a genuine Christian soldier), a winner in every respect, and he till this day and at this advanced age, he has never let us down.

These are men we will never measure up to.  I wouldn't want a hero who wasn't way better than me.  However, we can strive to be just a little bit better by following their examples.

I had a feeling in the last couple of months that Mitt Romney could be one of my heroes.  I think I see in him all the traits cited above.  But, he lost his race.  But then everyone of these other gentlemen lost at times as well.  My hopes are that Mitt doesn't quit his service to this country.  There are so many things he can do.  He could take the leadership of a Conservative Republican Party.  He could create an organization with a big cause maybe pulling together business leaders to influence those awful people in Washington.   

How about campaigning for the 10th Amendment of the US Constitution?  You know the one that says "powers not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the States, are reserved to the States or the people".  Powers outside of the Constitution are not granted to Obama and his thug Czars from Chicago nor are they granted to Liberal Judges, nor are they granted to a Democratic Senate (like forcing citizens to buy health insurance with other taxpayers money).  With Mitt's contacts and clout he could create a movement like the Tea Party, call it something like "Feds Suck".  OK, maybe that's not the name but you know what I mean.  This organization could lawyer up and sue the bastards every time they violate the 10th, which happens allot.

I would be interested in your heroes  or your ideas as to what Mitt should do.  Drop me an email and let me know.  Heck, maybe we bundle them up and send them to Mitt.

Meanwhile, thanks for trying Mitt.  And thanks for everything, COACH.

Jim