It's Time To Smile

Do you smile when you get your picture taken?

(OK, it's at this point that you are convinced that Joe has finally gone over the edge.  Or that after 30 years he's finally ran out of things to write about.  Or both.)

Bear with me a minute. 

I was one of those kids that never smiled whenever he had his photograph taken.  Every school picture I ever had made--no smile.  Some were even more of a scowl. 

That habit carried on into the teen years and beyond.  Not so much as a smirk.  My high school year book?  Literally a frown.  Especially on my football pictures.   Trying hard to look mean.  Or serious.  Probably both.

Oh, I remember one exception, a photo that I had made lying on my college dorm bed after having won an intramural football game.  It wasn't a full-blown smile...more of a grin. 

The first family photo that I had made was while in school in Memphis.  It was my wife and I with our dog.  Imagine this--puffy hair of the day, rainbow striped suspenders.  And nary a smile.

I think I was always afraid of appearing anything less than totally serious about life (yeah...I know...those rainbow suspenders--go figure).  I hated a "fake smile" and was convinced that my smile would come across as that.  And I didn't have particularly good teeth either.

(OK...by now you're totally convinced that Joe has finally lost his ever-loving mind.   And that there can be no relevance in these ramblings.  Especially not in the sports pages.)

I sort of finally figured it out and now I just imagine something really happy in my life (a perfect day with friends on the bicycle, the eager greeting of a grandchild, coming home to my wife in the evening, winning state championships in football) and the smile comes naturally.

But today I want to tell you about two young men that have been a part of my life for a while who just graduated from high school and who I will miss very much.

And two of the things I'll miss most about them are their smiles and their positive attitudes. 

Both of them were valuable members of this year's MHS football team.  Both are effective leaders on and off the field.  I've known both of their fathers for a very long time--even took care of one of them while he was growing up.

When they came in the training room, they were always joking and smiling and having a good time.  

On the field, they displayed that same positive energy.  You could just tell that they were enjoying themselves playing this sport that we all love.

It helped them deal positively with pressure situations.  When we were struggling, you got the same positive attitude.  When they made a mistake, they were quick to forget about it and get ready for the next play.

Their smiles and their joy didn't interfere with their performance.  It did not detract from their intensity.  If anything, it added to it.  It was truly joyful to watch them play.

Josh Yoakum and Drake Martin, I'm sure going to miss you guys.