For my generation Michael Jordan was the standard of what you can achieve, namely greatness. It was not until I got older that I realized what one teacher told me was true, that you can’t be Michael Jordan. Now most people would say that is a terrible thing to say to kids, because everyone feels more comfortable with the more positive message of be all you can be, which I guess even the US Army found to be lacking, cause now they use the more modern message of Army of One. Now in my thirties, I see that life is full of obstacles and that for as many times that I have tried, I have had only moderate success or worse failed miserably. This brings me to Nike’s new advertisement campaign where they have kids listening to the greatness of Michael Jordan and all the adversity that he overcame. The newer commercial features a kid paying tribute to Jordan’s legacy, and then ending with a challenge, that the next Michael Jordan is coming, and that the newer one will be better than the original, because that’s life and that’s how things work, you see the challenge and you overcome it. Yet for most kids, they will never be as good as Jordan and may never come close at all. That is the hard truth, but does that mean you should never try to be anything?
If you have ever watched the Jordan MAX DVD or paid attention to the Nike commercial, Jordan himself answers this by saying, “I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not trying.” And he’s totally right. When I look at the next generation of kids, I see potential and that is what matters.
No we can’t all be Michael Jordan, but that does not mean we should stop trying to be. We must accept that eventually our limits will hinder us and that we can’t be great at everything, and that playing in the game (whatever that game may be) is what we love more than being number 1.
I probably will never be the world’s greatest father and I can accept that, but I need to try to be the best father I can to my kids, because giving up is never an option.