This week's Pep Talk: "Too Tough to Complain"

It’s an absolutely gorgeous Colorado fall morning on Poor Man’s Porch. It’s the first Sunday of October. I just hung up the phone from a passionate discussion with my older sister in Kansas City. We talk often these days. The discussion usually focused on care for our aging mother.

These chats can get emotional to say the least. I don’t think we’re alone. Anybody out there relate? I like to joke to being part of the “sandwich generation” - you? - trying like heck to, in healthy and productive ways, raise children and care for elderly loved ones. There are few more noble efforts, my opinion, in life than caring for those who gave us life and those we returned, hopefully, the favor. It can get challenging though, considering a few things: siblings, with obligations of their own, scattered around the country; relationships over the years have strained; finances are different, so too, attitudes.

It makes me think of former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney. He likes to suggest, especially in challenging times, “You can’t make it tough enough for me to complain.” That’s the spirit of Coach Mac’s Football Feast and Fix huddle held Thursday night’s at Pasta Jay’s in Boulder, Colorado: it’s a group of CU football fanatics rallying weekly in unwavering support of program resurgence under, respectively, home-grown Jon Embree, Eric Bieniemy and Greg Brown - head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.

Coach Mac always begins the program reminding the ever-growing crowd, at one of Boulder’s best restaurants, a sobering fact: playing like champions does not happen overnight. There is “tough sledding” ahead. To the comments from the coach who led the Buffs to a national title in 1990, I’d like to add “amen” and this: that’s the truth, playing like a champion takes time - whether we’re talking college football, home, work and elsewhere.

Often the challenges before us, like making good decisions in caring for aging parents, is an ongoing process requiring excellent teamwork from those involved. To steal Coach Mac’s phrase: “You can’t make it tough enough for me to complain.” Now, let’s be realistic here, this is not to suggest we all don’t have plenty of “stuff” on the platter, right? We have to focus on working like heck to turn those life lemons - heck with lemonade - into sweet and savory margaritas, true?

Well, hey, I’m just a simple dude from Missouri, but it seems, regardless of the venue making life challenging - work, home, elsewhere - we have to ask ourselves a basic question: “Hey knucklehead, student or victim?” I’ve been called a lot of things in life, smart rarely, but, my opinion, the former is better. Seeking solutions instead of complaining, inspires us, and others, to put fear aside and allow wonderment to win in creating productive choices to challenges faced.

It starts with, thanks Coach Mac, a “You can’t make it tough enough for me to complain” attitude. Let’s work our butts off this week to, wherever we roam, exalt and encourage others and self. Trust me, nobody will benefit more than us considering most folks don’t enjoy being around complainers very long. Have a great week!