Steve McNair

  The death of ex-football player Steve McNair has brought on a wide range of response, from people wanting to acknowledge his fine career as a football player, and his record of great community service, as well as being a father and role model for young kids. Others want to focus on the disturbing circumstances, and unfortunate details surrounding his death. Well I've said it before, these athletes are too often judged and critiqued in their personal lives, almost as if it's one of their games. We too often hold these players or performers to a standard higher than the rest of us are living by. Why? Because they earn a lot of money doing things we wish we could do? Because our kids look up to them and love them? Well why does Steve McNair owe your kids more than you do? I won't go as far as Charles Barkley did and say he is not a role model, but he certainly is not more of one than we are to our own children. Not to condone infidelity, but if we have not been unfaithful ourselves, we know someone who has, yet it's not news worthy because it's an everyday person. Steve McNair may have cheated, but do you think little Rick, Tom Sally or Sue is more affected by him, or by hearing you and your spouse argue about whose number is in your phone, or why you got home so late and smell and look like that. Too many times we allow our thinking to be manipulated by what we read or hear.  Steve McNair was actually the victim in this story. No matter how poor his choices were, this is not what we expect to happen. Another lesson I guess to be aware of consequences, you never know what they will be. Well this includes judging people because life has a funny way of teaching us lessons.  Sadly years from now, when Steve McNair's name is mentioned, we'ere going to think of the horrible way in which he died. An ending no matter good or bad, is still part of the story, and these events will be part of his! However  before a week ago everything we ever heard about Steve McNair was positive. Let's remember that we celebrate life, and all that it was. This man was a father ,husband, son, and friend, and no one thing anybody does should be the deciding factor on how we are remembered.