What I Have Learned

I was born January 1, 1969....so today is my birthday and my last year of being in the 30s....I always like reading in Esquire the section "What I Have Learned".....the editors always have someone famous spew off what they have learned over the course of their life.....well, here are some of the things that I have learned and what I believe over the first 38 years of being alive.....

When a crisis occurs, do not lie - tell the truth...

Living in Ohio, it is easy to be an Ohio State fan, but it takes a real man to be a Michigan fan...

Smile...

Don't worry what other people think about you - Fuck 'em!!!...

I do not like phoney people...I also do not like professional bullshitters...

Wearing a suit to work does not mean that you are making a difference...

Rocky is the best movie I ever saw...I cannot believe that Burgess Meredith never won an Oscar for his role as Mickey...

Everyone should see a counselor at least once in their life...

Being married does not bring happiness...

You never learn anything by talking - Listen!!!...

The most I was ever focused was when I completed two marathons...

It's okay to not own a gun...

It is a crime that Yankee Stadium will be demolished...

There is not a "soulmate" for everyone...some are destined to be alone...

My dad is the most honorable man I know...

If you are able, help those who are less fortunate...you don't have to donate hundreds of dollars...even a few dollars here and there do make a difference...

September 11, 2001 still bothers me when I think about all those innocent people who died...

The 1980 Olympic hockey game between the USA and USSR was the greatest game ever played....

As I get older, I become more aware that my time on earth is slowly running out...

I hate change...

It is truly amazing how the U.S. Postal system works...as big as this country is, in a matter of days, a letter from Niles, Ohio could be sent to another small town in say Montana...

Being in the eighth grade was the best time of my youth...all we did was go to school and play basketball in the evenings...no one could drive, so we all had to walk or have one of our parents drive us...life was simple...

Many sports fans hate him, but every sports fan wishes that George Steinbrenner was the owner of their favorite sports team because The Boss wants to win...too many owners stuff the profits into their own pockets instead of fielding a championship contender team...

I hate parents who think their kid is going to be some prodigy just because the kid could wipe his own ass at the age of three....

Do not raise your child because some whacko intellectual doctor told you to do it a certain way in a book....you will make mistakes, but remember, you are raising a human being, not some damn robot....

Just because someone goes to church every Sunday, that does not make him/her morally better than someone else....it's what you do every day and how you treat people - not just for that hour on Sunday....

Respect is the most powerful word in the dictionary.....if I respect someone, even if we don't see eye-to-eye, we can set aside our differences in order to get something accomplished....

People deserve a second chance....

Capital punishment should be allowed for the most horrible and inhumane crimes....

If you treat a dog well, he will be your best friend....

The legs are the best part of a woman's body.....nothing beats a great pair of legs....

I am a very passionate person...not enough people have passion...

I use my hands when I speak....I guess that is part of my passion...for those who don't like that - deal with it!!...

Jim Valvano's speech during the first ESPYs is one of the greatest speeches ever...Valvano only had weeks to live and he spoke from the heart...not enough people speak from the heart...

Like Howard Cosell said, "I tell it like it is"....if people don't like it - too fucking bad!!...