I get great inspiration and motivation from the strangest places. At the time I seem to need it most too. Yesterday it came in the form of passion. True passion…passion for life. And a few kid’s who exemplify exactly what that means.
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I’ve known these two dudes since they were babies. Kaleb Witbeck is my nephew, and Brody Evans is like a 2nd son to us. Colt doesn’t have a brother, but he’s grown up most of his life alongside three Evan boys/brother’s, who are as close to a brother as you can get, next to blood.
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A lot of my inspiration comes from the people who are “different”. The ones whose stories don’t get told, the ones who seem to be written off…simply because they are “different”, or not as “good” as others around them. The ones who don’t fit in, the ones who get ignored. These are my people. There’s so much power and strength in these dark corners of life, especially if we learn how to tap into them and utilize them.
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My nephew Kaleb has wrestled before, but never at the high school competition level. Everything is different at the next level…and everything in life has levels.
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There’s a weight limit they cut kids off at, and Kaleb exceeded that by almost 50lbs just a couple months ago. He started with the wrestling team anyway, with a goal of competing. But, like all of us, his first and most critical opponent to face and overcome, was himself. He’s competed against that MF since day one, and beat him by hitting the threshold weight limit yesterday. I got a little emotional yesterday thinking about what this young man has accomplished in only 60 days or so…because I know just an inkling of what it takes. There wasn’t anyone for him to wrestle from our local schools last night, but as I thought about the overall situation yesterday…I realized he’s already faced some of the most fierce competition he’ll ever face…himself.
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I don’t know a lot about sports. Honestly, I could care less about any of them. What I do love about them though, is what they can teach us about life. About ourselves, and about others around us. These two young men teach me a lot. About grit, about passion…and about zest.
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This other young man, for those who don’t know him, is named Brody. He and his family were our next door neighbor’s for a decade. We didn’t move far when we did, so they’ll always be our neighbors, but more importantly a part of our family. When you run across people in life like the Evan’s…you don’t let them go. There’s a few other family’s like their’s in our area, and we love them dearly like our own. They’ve always been there through the darkest times, and when the time comes, we’ll be there in their’s.
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Brody is an absolute beast. Some consider him to be different. I consider him Brody. Always have and always will. At 15 he looks like a chiseled Greek God statue. You can’t help but marvel at what he’s accomplished physically. As he goes on in life he will accomplish great things, no doubt. Simply because he has what it takes…to be different. His sights are set on being a multiple-time state champion wrestler…and there’s no doubt in my mind that he has what it takes to achieve that.
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His parents highlighted something about him last night that I hadn’t really thought about before, but I know it for a fact now. Only because I’ve observed from the outside-looking-in what he’s done…and that’s simply when he has set his sights set on something, he doesn’t stop until it’s complete. That character-trait is becoming more and more rare.
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2-3yrs ago he started doing push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups in his house for several hours a day…almost everyday. One crucial thing I’ve learned in life is that we typically only see the “finished product”. We don’t usually get to see all the work that goes into someone’s craft. I’ve only gotten a glimpse of Brody’s, and it’s fucking remarkable what he’s done for himself.
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His passion for his craft/life last night was on full display for all to see. I witnessed people snickering at him because of it. One thing you must always know, is that you’re always being observed. I watched Brody like a hawk. His energy and his passion fueled mine more than anything I’ve experienced these past couple of months. Those snickering at him fueled it even more, and made me realize how shitty some people always will be. For whatever reason(s), it’s just the way a lot of us are…or can be as a species.
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More importantly, it made me realize that there’s ALWAYS going to be people snickering/talking shit about us as we get after life.
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Fuck em’. Let em’.
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This life is ours to live. We get to choose how we live it. We can live it on fire, with passion and zest like Brody and Kaleb, or we can cower to the thought’s of others…who choose to live their lives with no character traits to speak of. I’ve lived on that side of the coin, and had to make amends later in life for my wrong doings. It’s not fun. Always choose the higher-standards road.
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I pointed it out to Colt last night after we left. Don’t associate yourself with people who choose to live life like most everyone else…”be different”…because wether you’re snickering with them or not, or if you just happen to be in their circle at the time…you will be guilty by association. Always. You are the sum of the 5 friends closest to you. Choose wisely.
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We should always strive to find the sharks in life like Brody and Kaleb, and pace the floor of life with them. They are the ones who will help carry us through life with positivity and zest. Not the ones who bring and welcome negativity. If you can’t find the sharks…then you should always be one. Don’t ever be afraid to stand/walk alone for what you believe in to be right and true.
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Speaking of shark’s…
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Last night there were a couple girls who also wrestled. Years past they would always have to wrestle the boys as there were only ever 1-2. While I always admired them for getting in there, it’s not fair. Sometimes it may be, but most times it’s not. Still…I admire their willingness to show up and to fight. I really dig that. Now there’s getting to be enough to have their own league. Pure. Awesomeness.
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I despise this transgender-sports bullshit we’re witnessing…and that’s a conversation I don’t even feel is worth merit. Ever. There’s no honor or feelings within that realm worth discussing. Don’t even start/try. I try every day to practice Genshai…but seriously, I don’t care when it comes to things like this…if you lack the common sense to know this isn’t right or ok, please remove yourself from my life. Like, yesterday.
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Here’s some honor and feelings worth discussing.
Last night there was a young lady from Duchesne who struggled through an obvious handicap to get out on the mat…and to compete.
Talk about fueling a fire!! 👊!!!
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I REALLY dig people who choose to do more with less, and this girl straight got after it, obviously giving it her all. I don’t know this girl, yet, as I’ve never seen or heard of her before. But watching her full display of what everything this life is about…was well worth the price of admission. If you know her please tell me her name, and make sure she knows what she’s doing for others by her example when you see her next. GOOD SHIT!!
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Once she was done wrestling, Sam noticed her a little while later on the sidelines…filling another position as a cheerleader. These are my people.
The ones who are in a league of their own. There’s no competition for these type’s of people, simply because most of us wouldn’t make a pimple on their ass. We must always know and understand this…then me must get after becoming better people…and “being different” ourselves. Break the norms. If we want to see and experience different in our world, which I believe most of us do, we must begin doing things differently.
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“I will be different.” — Robb Flynn
Whit Beal 