Pep Talk: "Take the Steroid and Ignite the Libido!"

“My goodness,” cracked the woman offering the thought. “That steroid the doctor has me on is re-igniting my libido.”

Yikes. A scary thought considering it came from my almost octogenarian mother.

It was one of many hilarious comments that flowed from the lips of this still sharp-as-a tack mother of four. But there were some serious moments in the usual Friday morning conversation. It’s a weekly ritual for mother and son as your Pep Talk scribe makes a 25-minute drive from central Denver to the southern suburbs for a rendezvous with other goofs. It’s a little dude time designed to strengthen our faith. On the way, I give the Kansas City resident a call and we chat.

This particular morning the lively bantering ranged from crazy weather, “Did you get hit by a tornado?” Colorado’s Front Range was experiencing, to her medically induced friskiness awakening and to the Olympic champion formerly known as Bruce, now, Caitlyn Jenner.

I’ve always joked with mom that she would make an ideal radio talk show host. The feisty woman used to call my sports talk show and rip into my co-host. There is not a topic without opinion, often caustic. After Patsy Sue was born, as she would say, “They threw away the mold.”

The former Bruce Jenner and the transformation into Caitlyn Jenner. From man to woman, in all ways but biological. Full disclosure, after watching Jenner’s national television interview about the life-long struggle with conflicting identity issues, I had empathy for the inner conflict endured for so long.

Our conversation centered on the resolve the New York native, whether identifying as a man or woman, has demonstrated many times in life. Trust me, from a life centered on sports as an athlete or covering the games as a journalist, it takes tremendous dedication and sacrifice to achieve what Jenner did in winning the Olympic decathlon gold medal in 1976.

“The world’s greatest athlete” possessed athletic talent, but the secret sauce for his incredible achievement rests with a reservoir of grit that lies deep within. Most athletes are not willing to pay the price in sacrifice and suffering that elevates high achievers like Jenner, Jordan, James, Vonn and others to the penthouses of their sports. It’s too hard.

Obviously, opinions vary to the 65-year-old’s decision to finally, her words, “Get real.” Regardless of where one stands on all that, one thing can’t be disputed: Jenner is not afraid to step outside the box, cast fear aside and go for it.

Resolve. Defined as “To come to a definite or earnest decision about.” Jenner has a bounty of it. For each of us, where is it time to come to a definite or earnest decision about - fill in the blank? A job? Relationship? Fitness plan? Whatever?

Back to mom and where this conversation about Jenner started. Metaphorically, take the steroid, ignite the libido and unleash the resolve. I just hope, considering her age, mom wasn’t serious about the boob job.