Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Billy Rae Cyrus from Achey Braky Heart comes to mind, John Marr Karr, confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey, that was his 15 minutes, James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces, had his; Oprah not amused. My personal list goes on, remember Steve Bartman, the Cubs fan that interfered with a foul ball in the World Series dashing the Cubs hopes, Monica Lewinsky, ugh, to reach back even further, Joey Buttafuoco, and John Bobbit.

You might have been lucky enough to not have had your 15 minutes yet, but for me I remember what I call my fifteen minutes of fame. I think that I blew it, completely wasted. I was about 12 years old and my church group drove up from Tallahassee, Florida to Atlanta to watch a Braves game in Fulton County Stadium. It was a beautiful summer day and the Braves were getting killed. I remember the stadium was packed that day and I was bored so I single handily started the wave. It went around 8 times, the Braves rallied and ended up winning the game. Ok, the last part, pure embellishment but it really jazzes the story up a bit. Nonetheless, that day I led 50,000 people to happiness, all eyes were on me, it was my 15 minutes of fame. Unfortunately, I later realized that I wasted my 15 minutes on a baseball game starting the wave. Had I known that I only had 15 minutes, I assure you that day, I would have opted for higher quality 15 minutes.

I once worked with a man that sat the bench for 5 NBA basketball games, remembered it like it was yesterday. He recanted how he was called up, warmed up with the “pros” (he was one at that point), and then watched 5 games from the bench, but never played…15 minutes. I also worked with a man that was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1984. He caught 11 passes in the NFL and spent a year or two injured, never returned. He knew each catch in detail. You should have seen his face when I asked him about it…15 minutes.

Not long ago my kids were at the end of my last nerve and tickling it feverishly. It wasn’t anything big that they were doing, it was more like a mosquito constantly buzzing around me. Not bad until you consider that mosquitoes are annoying little beasts, many of them bloodsuckers, also carry diseases like malaria, Lyme disease, hepatitis and all sorts of other problems, it was kind of like that, little mosquitoes. I know what you are thinking, “not from the Red Fox Father”, I hear ya, the whole be intentional, engaged, and interactive thing but hey, we are all human and I didn’t want to be engaged at this point, I needed some time.

Anyway, the kids were bothering me and I needed a break so I took a time out and totally rationalized it by comparing my dad techniques to all the people that I know that work too much and don’t spend quality time with their kids, it didn’t work. You see I have a little problem, I created this blog that makes me always attempt to think of things in a different way. So I did. I figure that my kids will live with me for 22 years (maybe) and I will live to be 85 years old (maybe) this is 25% of my life…about 15 minutes out of an hour. This is all you get, 2 innings of a baseball game, 6 outs. Heck, you are not even sure that you will get up to bat in 2 innings and if you are batting a respectable 300, chances are if you do get an at bat, you won’t get on base. Fifteen minutes that is all we have to build confidence, give life instruction, demonstrate wisdom, don‘t blow it starting the wave at a baseball game, don't waste it, 15 minutes, opt for a high quality 15 minutes.

Anybody can be great for 15 minutes, just ask Billy Rae, go be a great Dad, it only takes 15 minutes.

Be intentional, be engaged, be interactive, be a Red Fox Father.