25 years ago a baby boy was born. His father was black (african-american), his mother was hispanic (mexican-american). His only concerns were breathing, eating, sleeping. He had no idea he'd face his childhood years wondering who and even what he was due to continually being bombarded with a peculiar question: "What are you?" Eventually he would learn that these seemingly innocent children were questioning his ethnicity or race. He would also come to realize how prevalent this subject would be in him establishing and appreciating his identity; his place in the world. The boy was me. What that story has to do with Tiger Woods and why he is still my hero, I will now attempt to explain.
As a child I often felt as though I didn't fit in. From the perspective of an elementary-aged "mixed" boy, school appeared to be segregated, though legal segregation had ended decades earlier. As I grew and progressed through school, the appearance of this "segregation" seemed to be more and more conspicuous. I saw the black cliques, the white cliques, the Asian cliques, the Mexican cliques, etc. I saw people of various ethnic backgrounds appear to blend in with their respective groups and often felt like I was on the outside looking in. As a child I had heroes, people to whom I looked up to and identified with their victories. Michael Jordan comes to mind. I came to identify closely to my African-American heritage and found myself cheering for and looking up to the black athletes, coaches, rappers, business people, news anchors, etc. Then came a guy named Tiger Woods.
I watched Sports Center as far back as I can remember so I'd heard the name and even seen images of Tiger before, but in 1997 history was made. Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods became the first first non-white golfer to win one of golf's most prestigious championships, The Masters. Naturally, I was excited and became more interested in the game of golf. I remember my father calling me asking if I had witnessed the victory and I could sense how important the moment was in his life. I remember going to the driving range during one of my brother and I's summer visits to Indiana where my dad lives. I felt empowered. Someone who was "mixed" like me had done something great, historic, ground breaking.
Since then I have come to witness one of the greatest sports careers in the history of sports. Tiger Woods is currently the world's top-ranked player of a game who's history and record books are filled with Caucasian competitors. I believe that before he retires, he will be known as the single greatest golfer to ever pick up a golf club.
Around the age of 18 when I was introduced to "the real world", I began to further study and develop my identity and seek out my purpose and where I fit in among the over 6 billion inhabitants of this earth. I studied the lives of people like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., A. Phillip Randolph, Elijah Muhammad, Nelson Mandela, Marcus Garvey. I gained confidence and began to feel like I could be like them, like I could be like Tiger. I could be great.
About a year ago it was a "mixed" individual who rose to the highest position in this nation. Senator Barack Obama became President Obama. While President Obama's election and inauguration meant a lot of things to a lot of people, it felt particularly good to me because I identified with him. I saw myself and see myself in him. I can relate.
Everyone has heroes in their lives. Some call them "idols" though I don't favor that term. People that we look up to, people that we want to succeed, people who we celebrate with when they win and perhaps shed a tear with when they lose. Despite the overwhelming negativity of the past few days concerning Tiger Woods, he's still my hero and I'll still point to him and credit him as someone who has inspired me to be great and I'll teach my children and one day my children's children to do the same.
DISCLAIMER: In an attempt to be as candid as possible, please excuse poor grammar, punctuation, etc. Also... I use the term "mixed". Though it is not a term I prefer, I think that you'll understand the point I was attempting to convey. This is a very sensitive subject to me and I've been desiring to speak on it for a while. Perhaps I will continue on the topic. Please let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks. Be Blessed.
Share This Post
Categories: Editorial, Random
4 comments:
Interesting article, but I'm not sure why you admire him other than he's mixed and he plays golf well. He was born mixed, so surely that's not an achievement in and of itself. His racial background also has nothing to do with his character as of late. So if you still admire him because he was well accomplished in golf, that I get. But it sounds more like you admire him because he was mixed.
I get what you're saying because there are a lot of black people I admire, but it's more because who and what they have done, and not just because they were black. Because of their character. I didn't here you discuss Tiger as a person of character, and that's why I'm not sure why you still admire him.
I'm not saying that he shouldn't be admired. I'm just saying, and don't know exactly why you still admire him.
Thanks for the comment MrsGrapevine. It's not just that he "plays golf well". With all due respect that is quite an understatement. His accomplishments in the sport of golf are historic and have nothing to do with ethnicity other than the fact that all of the records he's broken were previously held by caucasian golfers and you would be hard-pressed to find anyone knowledgeable of the game who doesn't believe he will be the greatest golfer of all time. He's already far ahead of the pace for his current age and that's based on statistics and not opinion.
Anything he has done or will ever do will not take away from his historic achievements and will not affect how he has inspired my life. The same way I will be forever inspired by President Obama, or Malcolm X, or Martin Luther King Jr. A hero is someone you cheer for even when the deck is stacked against them and their back is against the wall. Someone you want to succeed against all odds even when they are facing the toughest opponent known to mankind: self.
I still admire and look up to Martha Stewart though she went to prison, I admire Michael Jackson (R.I.P.) despite the allegations against him, and I admired Kobe Bryant throughout his situation. "Character" is relative that's why it's futile for us to attempt to judge it. I refuse to take one negative aspect of someone's life and paint their entire "character" as negative. The only character, in my opinion, we should examine daily is our own.
I thought that's what you were saying, but it didn't really come across to me, in the post. Noticed I said to me. So you still admire his greatness and the milestones he's achieved in golf, despite the recent events, and his mix race is just a bonus or another way to connect.
I think you should add that last paragraph to your post. Although, I agree with you some what, it's just the extent to which he cheated just bothers me for some reason, maybe because I'm married and I'm projecting, or because it seems like he has no respect for women.
It doesn't seem like just a mistake, but quite serial. But you are right in that Nike golf is built off his pure existence, and no matter the scandal you can't discount his greatness in golf.
Thank you so much for your input! It's greatly appreciated and gives me something to think about.
Post a Comment