I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~ Nelson Mandela
It was about a month ago when I made a new friend. His name is Miguel. Or as his mother Rosa sometimes calls him, Miguelito, which if you know your Spanish means “Little Miguel.”
What I’ve learned about my buddy Miguel is when it comes to courage, he is anything but little. He’s one brave dude - unafraid to meet new people, go to new places, and to try to new things.
Miguel and I connected through the Boys and Girls Club of St. Joseph County in South Bend, Indiana. I’ve been on the board of directors there for a number of years. This year I accepted a challenge to compete in a contest for the 2016 Greatest Big Kid. I’m up against six other community leaders to raise the most money before our big annual banquet on April 29th.
The really cool part of the competition is that each of us adults gets paired with a young person from the Club. The kids are competing for Youth of The Year awards for Indiana and possibly even nationally. Fortunately for the kids, they compete independently from the adults they’re paired with. I don’t know how you can find seven more amazing kids, yet every year the Club has another slate of awesome young people. In fact, I’ve also gotten to know Miguel’s older brother Javier who competed to be a candidate a few years ago. He’s no exception to this rule.
Miguel is like a lot of other young boys in that he likes Batman, eating pizza, and gym class. He’s an awesome soccer player and is also trying his hand at basketball, which I’m thrilled about. You’ll have to check him out on this promo video for our March 4th Gibson vs. Edward Jones match-up.
When we first met up, we talked about things we both liked, things we wanted to try, and things we hoped the other guy would try, too. Our first adventure was snow skiing, which my family really enjoys. Miguel had never been skiing but thought it sounded like fun. Along with my wife, kids, and some friends, we went to Swiss Valley in Jones, Michigan. As we began walking toward the lodge, Miguel looked up at the tallest peak (Swiss Valley has one Expert run), and said, “Tim, do your boys really go down that mountain?” I said yes, they sure do, and after a lesson and some practice, Miguel could, too. He wasn’t convinced.
But sure enough, with some decent equipment, the right training, and a lot of encouragement, Miguel conquered that “black diamond” (as he likes to call it) slope. Sure he fell more than a few times, but he never stopped trying. He conquered his fear, doing something in the afternoon that looked impossible in the morning.
It wasn’t just the courage Miguel displayed skiing that impressed me. Just as much, I wondered how intimidating it probably was for him to spend an entire day with a family he didn’t know. The truth is we had only known each other for a few weeks and had not spent more than a couple of hours together. Then we go to a ski resort and I turn him over to another stranger for his one-on-one lesson. So, he’s in unfamiliar surroundings, doing something he’s never done (that requires a lot of skill) with a ski pro he’s never met. How many times do you feel a little anxiety just from going to a party where you don’t know all the guests?
I know Laurence Hammond, Branch Manager of his Boys and Girls Club site, feels the same way about Miguel’s courage to take on challenges. Miguel is Wilson Primary Center’s first Junior Youth of The Year candidate. Even though he watched other friends go through the process only to miss by a whisker, including his beloved older brother Javier, he still threw his hat in the ring. “He could have been super hesitant,” said Laurence. “Instead he smiled and gladly said yes.”
I wondered where Miguel learned all of his courage. His mother Rosa told me it started with his grandparents. The hardworking immigrants came to the United States from Mexico in 1973. That work ethic and steady determination has been passed down through the generations. Miguel’s mother Rosa has been working at the same nursing home for 22 years. Conquering fear and working hard to achieve your goals is something that’s been instilled in him for a long time.
Speaking of his grandparents, Miguel’s grandmother Maria is known for her tacos. In fact she ran a little restaurant named Mi Cocinita for a number of years in South Bend and hopes to open a new one this summer. This brings me to something I’m afraid to do that Miguel wants me to try.
Miguel’s favorite kind of taco is a taco de lengua or tongue taco. They are often made from the tongue of a cow. And yes, you guessed it. Miguel wants me to try one of Maria’s famous tongue tacos. Espero estar lo suficientemente valiente. Stay tuned!
What’s The Risk?
The risk, I think, is about opportunity. As in the opportunities we’re all given (or not).
Take the skiing as an example. Here’s a kid that might never have experienced the fun of flying down the mountain on a pair of skis. “I like how fast you go!” Miguel exclaimed to me on more than one occasion. All he needed was some rental equipment from the lodge, a lesson from the pro, and a chance. Then Miguel did his part by working hard and overcoming his fears.
He wants to go into the construction business when he gets older. He knows it will be a big challenge. My friends at Great Lakes Capital are going to show him around one of their worksites soon. He’s pretty excited.
Miguel is lucky. Not because he had the opportunity to go skiing with me, or walk around a construction site, but rather the “opportunity” he’s had to learn and observe that your fears can be overcome. That if you work hard enough, you can make it. This comes from his family where it’s constantly reinforced.
There are a lot of kids like Miguel out there who just need an opportunity. They need our help acquiring the right equipment. They need some training. They just need a chance.
To learn more about Miguel and to support Team Blue, visit www.greatestkids.org/teamblue.
