Encouragement: Not Always A Pat on the Back
I had a great workout today, in fact, it was almost too good and got me too fired up. I try to avoid these workouts a lot because then I want to start to compete again...and I'm happy in my path right now not competing.
Aliens
Around Metroflex, at the gas station down the street, there is always a number of illegal aliens looking for work. Lately, there are some rough looking cats hanging around. In fact, one guy has tattoos all over his face. When the work is slow, many times these guys will pass the time by going and drinking 40's at the mechanic shop next door. The group that hangs out there consists of a 70-year-old mechanic from Vietnam named Mr. Hip, a retired Dallas homicide detective and now the guy with face tattoos.
The Nod
Anyways, on my last set of running the wheelbarrow up the hill (extremely heavy), I got so fired up I miss-timed the distance to Metroflex and literally ran the wheelbarrow straight into the concrete building. I fell over and bounced back up with a big smile on my face, this is extreme heavy weight we are talking. The guy with the face tattoos saw it and instead of laughing, he had a noble expression on his face and raised his 40 oz to me as a sign of respect. I don’t know this guy’s history, but dollars to donuts says he has probably been in knife fights in Juarez’s toughest cantinas. For the rest of the day, anytime I would walk by, we would nod to each other as a sign of mutual respect. This story may sound a little strange, but there is a take home lesson here.
Not always does encouragement come in a typical pat on the back. Two men, two different cultures, two different belief systems had a great male bonding experience. I was truly honored to earn this man’s respect.