11-29-01
Hello All and Happy Thanksgiving! Did you miss me? What do you mean was I gone? Yes, I have been gone for a month – thanks for noticing!!!!!
Since this is Thanksgiving and in light of the life altering events of September 11, 2001, I am going to write this column totally on what THIS Thanksgiving means to me. So many things have happened and as in life we can choose to see them positively or negatively. The choice is always ours. As I grow older it seems that people tend to look for the negative until something really….well…negative happens that gives them perspective. They find the things about which they worried and felt sorry for themselves were really nothing when something of significance happens. The other wonderful thing tragedy brings (that sounds strange, doesn’t it?) is the realization we are strong and can make it through ANYTHING!
This will be the first Thanksgiving of my life without my father. He died October 18th of last year. There are two ways to look at this Thanksgiving – one of self pity, “poor me” because I don’t have my Dad. The other is to give thanks for the other 45 Thanksgivings I did have with him. I’m pretty sure which way he’d want it.
This Thanksgiving is the first in my adult life where I’ve been unemployed. That could easily be thought to be another “poor me” but read on. The last six years of my career was in the administration of the wrestling business. I worked 60 to 80 hours per week – every week! There were live TV’s, taped TV’s, talent issues, personality conflicts, stress, travel, no sleep, and so on. I was burnt out and needed a break. I was so job scared I didn’t dare ask for time off. My life was passing me by. I was distant and hateful to the people who loved me the most. When I finally got home my sons were asleep and my wife was exhausted from working and acting as both parents. When she wanted to tell me about her day or ask my opinion on anything I was emotionally bankrupt. My wife would videotape anything she thought important in our boys’ lives. I can barely type this. I watched my two sons grow up on videotape. It was so unfair to her, but she hung in there.
On March 26,2001 Vince McMahon bought WCW. I’ve worked for Vince many times and he’s told me the “door was always open” for me to return.” For some reason I didn’t think the WWF would hire me as part of the WCW package, but we’d wait and see. Jim Ross and Johnny Ace called all WCW office personnel to be interviewed – I wasn’t called. Vince McMahon called me himself to tell me “it doesn’t look good for you pal.” I died inside. I chose the negative response because I thought I couldn’t make it without wrestling in my life.
I was wrong. Do you know what replaced wrestling as the focus and priority in my life?
My Family! They were there all along and I was too blind to see it. I had the three most wonderful strangers living at the same address! As we got to know each other better, I got more and more excited about the future. How lucky am I to have this time to watch my son Cody grow and guide him through middle school. He’s autistic, but I wouldn’t trade him for the smartest, most athletic kid in town. Do you know why? He is the sweetest most sensitive person I know – not just child. He’s as loving and cheerful as anyone could wish for.
Donny is 20 years old. I missed most of his childhood. Looking at that negatively I could be bitter about the time we missed by a business that discarded me like yesterday’s trash. We can never get that back, but we can make the absolute most of the time we have together now. You can bet I won’t squander one second with him because this is like a second chance. It’s never too late!
You see, I am so lucky and blessed. I have so many things for which to be thankful. My family loves me. I have wonderful friends and I think I have figured out the greatest gift of all- I now know for what to be thankful – Peace in my heart. I am content in my life. I am not “searching” for something. I am not looking for money, fame, women, drugs, booze, or anything else to make me whole. Being happy with who you are and what you have is the greatest gift in life. I thank God every day for letting me see that.
Don’t just think about this on Thanksgiving. Make every day a day of Thanksgiving! Be thankful for what you have, it will change your life.