Lessons Learned

I used to blog a lot. I remember using it as an outlet to relay my takes on anything from sports, to politics, life, and yes….pro wrestling. I feel like ever since I hit my 40’s, life truly clicked and began to make sense to me. Things like owning my responsibilities, accepting the fact that I am indeed human and make mistakes and owning those, and taking time out to not only “smell the flowers”, but appreciate things and also….present people their flowers while they are still around to receive them. When Brodie Lee passed away, that was what really changed that perspective for me.

A little about myself for those that do not know, or may be getting to know who I am. I grew up rather less fortunate. I didn’t have all of the bells and whistles that some of my friends had, certainly nothing remotely close to what my own children have now. I was in that final era of playing outside until the street lights came on and no electronics besides my Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, in between taking care of my younger brother while my mother worked three jobs to make ends meet. My father couldn’t bother because of some poor choices that he made in his youth and I wouldn’t learn until my 40’s exactly how poor of a character he was, but that’s for another time and another podcast or blog here.

Anyways, the lack of some individual freedoms that I had as a youth I think may have set me up to initially fail in my ventures into adulthood. Sure, I knew right from wrong but a lot of skills that I did not have were the people skills that I needed to become successful in my ventures. I never had much confidence in myself at all growing up, and when I finally began my pro wrestling journey, that was where I felt most like myself. I was there with others that were like me, shared in the same passions and love for wrestling, but where I was very under developed was with dealing with people that may not have done me wrong, but they may have either done a friend wrong, or just listened to others and never really followed my own path, even though I projected like I had.

I’ve always been strong willed, but never fully believed enough in myself to ever talk the talk because I never walked the walk.

That changed when I hit 40. Brodie’s death impacted me greatly because it had me questioning my own mortality and in both seeing the outpouring of support as well as with the heavy amount of questions that I received from people that may not have had the best relationship (locally) with him, it was at that point where I determined that I needed to make sure that I blazed my own path, ensuring that people knew where I stood, and changing my own image.

I no longer wished to be bitter about anything and I’m pleased to say, my life has been better for it. I’ve repaired relationships that I have damaged, settled numerous issues and while some did not end in a friendship or anything, they did settle and end and I was able to move on.

Doing this allowed me to fully embrace me being myself and me enjoying life. By doing this, I’ve ensured that at the core, I’ll always be okay and that everything in addition to that is a wonderful compliment to an already awesome life.

That’s what makes this most recent run in Pro Wrestling so much different. Yes, as of the time of this writing I am the current UPW No Limits Champion, which I’ll cover in another entry, but it was something that I’d never have expected to happen again. I had all but conceded that I would not be a Champion again and I was very okay with that.

This time around, I look through the lense of the big picture, and it has helped me understand the importance of treating others well and in doing that, the way that I have been treated and welcomed back has been more than even I expected.

Life truly rips.

Thank you, Huber, for teaching me that.