Unanimous Potential
(This is a column written for the East Brigewater Express this week)
Posted by Bob McGovern
“When you really desire something with your heart and soul, the entire Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
- Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist) -
NFL star Sean Morey made sure to mention this quote during his speech at the Kiwanis Club last Friday, extracting it from a book of quotes he’s accumulated over the years. On paper, it’s a once over cliché, but when you really look at it, this sentiment follows us all - whether it’s on the field, or during the daily grind of reality.
For Morey, his desire to compete and his fight to continue forced the world of football to accept him. He was cut, traded, and swapped around the league, always pursuing his dream of finally making it.
He did, and did so in a huge way.
After everything, Morey stood at the 50-yard line of the Super Bowl last year, clad in Pittsburgh Steelers attire as the team’s special teams captain. That night, while the whole country watched, Morey walked off the field as a champion.
While he stood in front of the Kiwanis Club, members asked questions and he gracefully answered with poise and precision. He gave all in attendance a rare look at a humble athlete in an era where cocky and flash sell.
After the meeting a woman walked up to him and uttered a quick phrase that most professionals spend their lives waiting to hear.
“I hope my son ends up like you, you’re a real role model.”
Morey thanked the woman and continued fielding questions from those that approached him. While he talked I stood off to the side and watched as a man that has played in front of millions, took a second to give back to the area he came from.
It was just a moment, but his speech and his story touched everyone in the room - including the reporter, who is always required to feign a mask of objectivity. However, like most people, I’m still in the midst of my search and Morey’s words really made me think.
There is nothing more troublesome than wasted potential, but that cliché is only for those that have given up. To me, I see potential in progress wherever I go, it’s what makes my job easy; it makes my job fun.
This potential is evident on the playing fields of the high schools I cover, it’s there at the Selectmen meetings I transcribe, and I can even see it on the other side of the drive-thru windows of the fast food places I frequent on Rt. 18.
There’s a glimmering sense of hope, be it old and dull or fresh and luminescent. Everyone is fighting for their own personal progress and as a reporter it’s my job to sit, watch, and listen.
Not everyone is as gifted as Morey, we can’t all can be born with the physical prowess and potential to make it as a professional athlete. However, no matter who you are, there’s something out there that’s very much yours - it’s what you were meant to do and it’s your job to find it.
For me writing has always been my forte. Despite the fact that I write for you on a weekly basis, I go home and type up personal parts of my life, always critiquing; always learning that I’m still very far from where I need to be as a writer.
Those are the times I write for myself.
Posted by Bob McGovern
“When you really desire something with your heart and soul, the entire Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
- Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist) -
NFL star Sean Morey made sure to mention this quote during his speech at the Kiwanis Club last Friday, extracting it from a book of quotes he’s accumulated over the years. On paper, it’s a once over cliché, but when you really look at it, this sentiment follows us all - whether it’s on the field, or during the daily grind of reality.
For Morey, his desire to compete and his fight to continue forced the world of football to accept him. He was cut, traded, and swapped around the league, always pursuing his dream of finally making it.
He did, and did so in a huge way.
After everything, Morey stood at the 50-yard line of the Super Bowl last year, clad in Pittsburgh Steelers attire as the team’s special teams captain. That night, while the whole country watched, Morey walked off the field as a champion.
While he stood in front of the Kiwanis Club, members asked questions and he gracefully answered with poise and precision. He gave all in attendance a rare look at a humble athlete in an era where cocky and flash sell.
After the meeting a woman walked up to him and uttered a quick phrase that most professionals spend their lives waiting to hear.
“I hope my son ends up like you, you’re a real role model.”
Morey thanked the woman and continued fielding questions from those that approached him. While he talked I stood off to the side and watched as a man that has played in front of millions, took a second to give back to the area he came from.
It was just a moment, but his speech and his story touched everyone in the room - including the reporter, who is always required to feign a mask of objectivity. However, like most people, I’m still in the midst of my search and Morey’s words really made me think.
There is nothing more troublesome than wasted potential, but that cliché is only for those that have given up. To me, I see potential in progress wherever I go, it’s what makes my job easy; it makes my job fun.
This potential is evident on the playing fields of the high schools I cover, it’s there at the Selectmen meetings I transcribe, and I can even see it on the other side of the drive-thru windows of the fast food places I frequent on Rt. 18.
There’s a glimmering sense of hope, be it old and dull or fresh and luminescent. Everyone is fighting for their own personal progress and as a reporter it’s my job to sit, watch, and listen.
Not everyone is as gifted as Morey, we can’t all can be born with the physical prowess and potential to make it as a professional athlete. However, no matter who you are, there’s something out there that’s very much yours - it’s what you were meant to do and it’s your job to find it.
For me writing has always been my forte. Despite the fact that I write for you on a weekly basis, I go home and type up personal parts of my life, always critiquing; always learning that I’m still very far from where I need to be as a writer.
Those are the times I write for myself.
This entry was posted by Ben Myers, on
Tuesday, April 11, 2006.
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8:45 AM
he's a special teams captain for the super bowl champions... star light, star bright