Tyler Takes the WIN!!!!

You all remember the saying, "This hurts me more than it does you."  What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear that saying?  Often times that phrase is uttered by a parent dealing with something related to their children.  As kids we thought our parents were nuts for saying something like that.  We thought to ourselves, "That's crazy, how could this possibly hurt you more than me!"  As kids we just didn't understand and it would take years until we fully appreciated what that saying really meant.


Well, much the same thing can be said about joyous moments in the lives of our children as well.  Seeing one of your own children experience success is a joyous thing to behold and I think I can finally say that I understand the true meaning behind, "This hurts me more that it does you."  Well actually I understood the saying long before this past weekend but let's just say the meaning was solidified more this weekend.

Years ago, when I was a kid, I was playing baseball and I really wasn't very good at all.  It certainly wasn't my sport and it showed.  I tried but it just wasn't going to be my sport.  My parents were working really hard at fixing up our new house and on this particular weekend my Dad took me to my game.  It was the bottom of the 9th, we were winning the game but I don't recall what the score was.  The other team was up to bat and we just needed one more out to win the game.  A kid I went to school with was on the other team, he was a year older than me, and he always picked on me in school.  His Dad was somewhat of a pompous jerk and his son was following in his footsteps at a rapid rate.  I could see his Dad pat his son on the back and point at me in the outfield.  I knew what that meant...  The ball was coming at me!  Remember when I said I wasn't that great at baseball, well there's another saying too...  "Every Dog has his day".  This was my day!!!  Just as I expected the ball was hit directly to me in the outfield.  I had a bad habit of running at the ball and misjudging it and the ball would fly past me, but I remembered what my Dad told me and stayed put until I could get my bearings on the ball.  My Mom would always remind me to use both hands to catch the ball so I did what my parents taught me and then it happened....  I actually caught it!  The final out of the game.  WE WON!  I could see my Dad jumping up and down excited about what I had just accomplished and he was more excited than I was....  At that time I couldn't understand why he was more excited than me.  Well, this weekend I got the chance to experience the same emotion.  Personal success is a great thing, but being there to witness the success of your child is AWESOME!!!!

Fast forward some 30 years and Tyler and I are at the go kart races on Sunday and Tyler gets his very first win!!!  Suddenly I was the Dad on the sidelines cheering for my son as I watched him take the Checkered Flag for the very first time!!!  It was a feeling I'll never forget.  I quite literally had tears in my eyes as he crossed the finish line in 1st place!

 

Tyler has been racing since he's been 5 years old and he started in those little battery operated "Power Wheels".  I've always been a big race fan and during our go kart races they thought it would be fun to have "Power Wheels" races for the younger kids.  I asked Tyler if he wanted to try it and he jumped at the chance! 

By the second race another kid showed up with a "Modified Power Wheels" and he destroyed all of us.  Tyler and I had our work cut out for us but eventually we beat the other boy and Tyler won the "Power Wheels Championship".   Tyler only got one season in the "Power Wheels" and then we had to move up to the kid karts.  

Yesterday was the second race for "The Mazda Heartland Sprint Series" here in Kansas City (Mazda Heartland Sprint Series ) and Tyler ran the perfect race!  He and his nearest competition, Henry Williams, must have swapped the lead at least 4 or 5 times during a 12 lap race.  Tyler had been in the lead for the last two laps but on the final lap of the race Henry had taken the lead away from Tyler.  It started to look like we were going to get 2nd place, but Henry drove too deep into the corner and spun his kart and Tyler saw an opportunity and without hesitation he took it.  The two came out of the corner side by side and it was drag race down the straight away.  By the next corner Tyler completed the pass and there were only two turns left and 300 feet to the finish line.  Tyler crossed the line first and took the checkered flag!  It was the single most exciting race I've ever watched and I can honestly say that I can fully appreciate the meaning behind the saying, "This hurts me more than it does you."  While the words of the saying don't apply to this particular situation the loving meaning behind them does.  The total joy of seeing your child succeed is a feeling that can't be matched!!!  Congratulations Son!  I couldn't be more proud of you!!!!

Tyler takes the #26 Kid Kart to Victory Lane May 22, 2011 in "The Mazda Heartland Sprint Series"

Just this morning I got an e-mail from another kart racer which made Tyler's victory even more meaningful.  I have been trying to instill in Tyler how important it is to have good sportsmanship while racing and it was exciting enough to win the race, but to get compliments about your Son and how he conducted himself during that race made the victory even more meaningful.

Chris, So who was more excited about Tyler's win, him or you? You need to nickname that kid "the iceman." He drove a VERY consistent and smart race. It was fun to watch. Its not often that the better driver gets to beat the better kart. Watching how engrossed in his Mychron that he was on Saturday and how well he drove Sunday, you might have the makings of a real race car driver there. I was blown away at how he never got rattled.

 
While writing this another saying came to mind that is totally appropriate...  It's the saying that you'll find on that Successories photo:

PRIORITIES

A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.

The Heck With Politically Correct, WE GOT HIM!

Let me start this off by saying I'm not a big fan of Obama to begin with but the fact of the matter is WE GOT HIM!  Osama Bin Laden is DEAD!  He's fish food at the bottom of the ocean somewhere and that's a good thing.  President Obama is the one who authorized the mission and acted on the intelligence so for that I'll give him credit.  Thank you President Obama for doing the right thing and giving the green light to exterminate this worthless piece of garbage.  The real credit belongs to the members of the United States Military for getting the job done and doing it so quickly and efficiently.  What they, the US Navy Seals, did and are able to do should strike complete and total fear in the hearts and minds of those who wish us harm.  Hey Al Qaeda We can do this when we want and where we want and if you dare cross us we can do it to you too!  Does that sound harsh?  Does that sound 'politically incorrect'?  Does that sound like something that would get me kicked out of class for saying it.  Yes, unfortunately it does but it shouldn't sound that way.  That's part of the problem if you ask me!

When asked about releasing the death photos of Osama Bin Laden President Obama said something to the affect of , "We're not going to spike the football."  Why the hell not?  We should not only be spiking the football, we should be doing one hell of an end zone dance too!  I don't give a damn about the sensitivities of the Muslim world and what they think of us.  Who Cares!!!  Did we care what the Germans and the Japanese thought of us when we celebrated the end of World War II?  No we didn't.  One of the most iconic photos of our time is the Navy Sailor kissing the Nurse in Times Square when victory over Japan was declared!!!  That was one heck of a celebration.  WE WON!!!!  WE CELEBRATED!!!  That is how it was then and how it should still be today! 

I got goosebumps when I saw the photos of American Citizens celebrating with the Red, White, and Blue chanting USA, USA, at Ground Zero and in front of the White House and in Times Square...  YES, YES!!!  That is the way it should be and if the Muslims were offended that's too damn bad!  If you're here and you don't like it you're more than welcome to leave!

Back in the days of World War II we had people like Patton who said, "America loves a winner. America will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise a coward; Americans play to win." Again... YES!!!  That's how it should be.  Some in Europe say they were shocked that America was celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden by cheering in the streets.  SHUT UP!!!  We've come to your defense each and every time and saved you ass before and we'll likely do it again should you be faced with terror.  You too should be celebrating the death and demise of someone so evil.  While you're passing judgement on our celebration of the death of one of the worst people to ever walk the earth keep this in mind...  "Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: Jesus Christ and the American G. I. One died for your soul; the other for your freedom."  If I recall correctly it was Tony Blair the Prime Minister of England who was credited with that quote.  Did you celebrate the death of Hitler?  Yes, you did, as did we.

Pakistan says we came in and killed Osama Bin Laden in cold blood while he was defenseless.  SO WHAT!  He was there for how many years Pakistan?  As George W. Bush said, "The US makes no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."  Count yourselves lucky that we only came after him and not you and your country.  In case you didn't notice, which you didn't, we came in and you didn't even know we were there and you likely wouldn't have noticed at all if it weren't for the fact that one of our helicopters went down.  That wasn't any typical helicopter either in case you missed it.  That appeared to be some super secret advanced piece of "kick your ass" hardware that we have.

The bottom line here is the fact that this is a HUGE victory for the USA and one that should be celebrated.  The American people as a whole are rarely wrong.  We celebrated the end of evil in World War II and we celebrated the death of evil in Osama Bin Laden.  I could care less about how the Muslims feel about what we do in this country.  If they don't like it then they can stay the hell out.  Don't forget it was the Muslim terrorists who started this mess.  We tend to keep to ourselves until we're pushed and provoked and that's what happened on September 11.  If you're going to pick on us you damn well better be ready for us to, "Put a boot in your ass courtesy of the Red, White and Blue!" as Toby Keith said in his song "The Angry American".

This is a VICTORY for America courtesy of the United States Military at the hand of the Navy Seals.  America will celebrate it, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it!