"Unfortunately, the only exercise some people get is jumping to    

       conclusions, running down friends, side-stepping responsibility,

                                       and pushing their luck!"

 

 

I’ve always thought that it was pretty cool that if you really looked hard enough, you can find inspiration even in the least likely of places. For me one of those places was on TV just a few nights ago. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of professional wrestling. Always have been, probably always will be. Nowadays my daughter and I enjoy it together, so I would say that “always will be” is pretty much a certainty. Anyway, back in the late 80’s and early 90’s one of the most identifiable names in the WWE (the WWF back then) was Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Jake wasn’t the biggest, the strongest or the fastest guy in the company. He was good on the mic though, he was the master of the DDT (a move that is still around today) and he would come to the ring with a giant python named Damien over his shoulder. That was more than enough and Jake was always fun to watch. As the years went by Jake faded away, as a lot of wrestlers do when they get older. I had heard that he was traveling a pretty rocky road in the years since he left the business. Drug addiction, alcohol addiction, estranged from his family. Sometimes even when you don’t know someone personally it still hurts to hear about them falling on hard times. There is a movie from a little while back called “Beyond the Mat” that will tell you pretty much all you need to know where Jake Roberts had been.

 

Well I want to say just under a year or so ago I heard that Jake was getting some help from another former wrestler named Diamond Dallas Page. DDP set him up in his house in Georgia and the two of them got to work. That hard work paid off this week while I was watching Monday Night RAW. It was an “old school” show that highlighted a few of the guys that helped catapult the business to what it is today. Personally, I love seeing the guys I grew up with, and love it whenever RAW goes “old school.” I loved it even more this week, because in the final segment of the night, as the heel (bad guy) team known as the Shield was about to tear apart the face (good guy) named CM Punk, out to the ring came none other than Jake “the Snake” Roberts, with his signature yellow bag over his should. He’s lost weight, looks great, has been sober for close to a year, and seemed to be as happy to be in that ring again as we were to see him there. I thought about what an amazing moment that must have been for him. How proud he must have been. How good he must have felt. And I couldn’t help but think that if Jake can accomplish his goals, why can’t I?

 

Two quick notes before I sign off on. First off, speaking of the wrestling business, it lost another one of its own this week. Mae Young, at 90 years old and still part of the WWE the world’s oldest living professional wrestler, passed away. Miss Young was a pioneer in the wrestling business. Her career is listed as lasting through nine decades and she was always a presence in the company. R.I.P. Mae…you will be missed.

 

And last but certainly never least, a very very Happy 21st birthday to my man Cody Berberich. Can’t believe you’re 21 already…and that I have been along for that ride since you were around 8 years old. Proud to see you accomplish some great things. Looking forward to seeing you accomplish a whole lot more. Happy Birthday….hope it’s a great year for ya!