The Good Samaritan

Yesterday my family and I took a trip to Wal-Mart after church to pick up some quick items. As I got in my Suburban, I noticed a piece of paper underneath my windshield wiper. When I got out to examine I found a free-hand note stating “Your passenger-side tire is very low”. Upon further inspection, I was horrified to find that not only was it very low, it was VERY, VERY low. Fortunately, Wal-Mart has a tire service place open on Sundays because I’m not sure how I far we would have been able to go. Turns out the culprit was a screw I ran over. To make matters worse, the front tires were no longer legal for road use, so I had to replace both of them!

Two things to learn from this; first I’m very thankful to my Good Samaritan who left the note. How often do we walk by a situation like that and don’t take the time to leave a note. I could have been down the road a mile or two with my wife and daughter and been involved in an accident.

Second, be prepared. I had let my tires become hazards and if it wasn’t for a wayward screw I ran over, may have found out the hard way.

The last word – teamwork is a part of life. This unknown person became my teammate when they took the time to write that note. Look at your team. Is everyone there holding on to the rope for each other? Who has a flat tire and needs support?

Dan

Boo Birds...

I've been a huge sports fan for as long as I can remember. The first football game I remember watching was in 1975 when Larry Csonka and the Miami Dolphins beat the Minnesota Vikings. Booing has always been a form of communication in sports. Some fans, like in Philadelphia, are known for it. When you boo Santa Claus, you earn that claim to fame!I will admit, I have done my share of booing in my life. As I have grown older though, I have made a conscious decision not to. I'm not sure if that has come around due to coaching high school basketball for six years, but something has changed me. The recent booing of Shaun Alexander of the Seattle Seahawks has prompted me to write this article.Shaun Alexander has nearly 10,000 rushing yards in his career, which places him in elite company. He is a former league Most Valuable Player. Even if he slows down to average numbers for the rest of his career, he is more than likely a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And, he has played his entire career with one team, which in this day and age is unique.Due to recent injuries and an overhaul of his offensive line, Alexander has had less than sterling numbers. The Seahawks "faithful" has been riding him hard and have actually booed him the past two weeks. I don't get it. Alexander has been a hero for this community and led our once doormat team to the Super Bowl. Not only that, he has been a sterling contributor to our community with his charitable work. How soon we forget. In this society which thrives on "What Have You Done For Me Lately", it's not surprising. I'm sure the fans who do the booing would never accept it in their line of work.Final thought - the Seahawks fans are famous for raising the "12th Man" flag prior to each game. Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki just did the honors last Sunday. That means we are part of the team. What part of "team" does booing honor? Aren't we suppose to pull for OUR team and be encouraging? Unfortunately, we here in Seattle are closer to the Philadelphia model of "team" than we might like to believe.

Dan

This is FUNNY

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of giving a presentation to the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. After the event, I was talking with several attendees as they were leaving, and one gentleman happened to catch my eye. I noticed that his name badge said "Weedin". Not seeing too many people with MY last name, I took a closer look to see what his first name was. To my surprise, it said "Kelli". Why was I surprised? Well, because that's my daughter's name!Turns out this man's name was "Kelly" and he was rushing in as the event was starting. The lady at registration asked his name and he said "Kelly". Well, my Kelli was originally going to come with me, but was sick and couldn't come. She had a name tag all set for her. You can guess what happened! The registration lady peeled off "Kelli Weedin" and gave it to this gentleman who wore it the entire time without realizing it. We shared a good laugh about that one. I told him that the story would definitely end up in a speech somewhere, and of course in my blog.

Dan

Thank you Mack Strong

"Life is not easy, no matter what you are doing - whether you are playing fullback for the Seattle Seahawks or working a 9-5 job stocking groceries. There's a certain amount of pain involved in order to reach our goals and destiny in life, and a long time ago I decided I was willing to pay that price."

These words are from Mack Strong as he announced his retirement yesterday after 14-plus years with the Seahawks. Strong, playing the brutal position of fullback, is high up in the Seahawks' record book when it comes to longevity. That's a tough thing to do when you have to run into defensive linemen and linebackers all day long.

I've always marvelled at Strong's "strong" resolve to be the unselfish team player. Quietly going about his business day-to-day and year-to-year, it has only been recently that his efforts have been lauded. As Shaun Alexander became a superstar a few years ago, it became apparent that Mack Strong had much to do with that.

Strong sets a great example for us as a role model for commitment to excellence. Paying the price daily, whether as a player, coach, or parent is what we have to do to be successful in our vocation. That commitment sometimes comes with pain. But in the end, it's always worth it. Thank you Mack Strong for over 200 games as a player AND as a role model for hard work and dedication.

Dan

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Simplicity...

Sometimes you find inspiration in the strangest places. While attending a fundraising luncheon for the local community college, I heard a wonderful speech from a young woman who was a student. It was unpolished yet beautifully and sincerely delivered to a room of about 400 people or more. Sometimes I wonder if we work too hard to deliver the "perfect" presentation when simplicity will do just fine thank you.

Dan

Don't Drop Your Head

Driving home this afternoon, I was listening to University of Washington Head Coach Tyrone Willingham on his radio show discussing the game against (then) #1 ranked USC on Saturday. The Huskies came close in a 3-point loss that went down to the final seconds. He was describing his words to his team prior to the game. One of his statements made me stop and think.

He told his team that they didn’t have to play a perfect game to win. He reminded them that they would make mistakes during the game, but to never drop your head because of them…to keep fighting on and overcome those mistakes. The part that stuck with me was not dropping your head.

It reminded me of my days coaching high school basketball. How many times I remember kids making mistakes on the court and dropping their head in disgust, hurt, or sadness. How much harder is it to bounce back when you’re looking straight down?

The same can be said about life, too. Business, sports, and personal lives all give us plenty of opportunities to make mistakes. Some mistakes are made with all the right information and effort…it’s that “hindsight is 20/20” stuff. Some mistakes you wonder, “What was I thinking?” But in all cases, I encourage you to take Coach Willingham’s advice and keep your head up. We all make mistakes. If we are smart, we always learn from them, too.

Keep your head up. Go into your “game” knowing you will make mistakes. Resolve to learn from them and keep battling. Remember that you can’t get where you want to go if you’re looking straight down.

Dan