Marion Jones and Mistakes

Earlier this afternoon, the Ogunbase family was at H.E.B., doing a little shopping. I picked up a box of gumbo mix, but then decided it wasn't needed. As I was walking to put it back, my lovely bride hissed at me to come back. As I walked back toward her, Marion Jones turned the corner in front of me.

When the Summer Olympics are on, I only watch a few things. Judo? No. Archery? No. But swimming and the track & field events? Absolutely. I'm glued to the screen, and will DVR them, even if I already know who won. I like swimming, but the sprint events in track and field are loves for me. I was watching when Michael Johnson ran the 200m in 19.32 in Atlanta. I watched this past summer as Usain Bolt ran a superhuman 9.69 100m (which he actually slowed down for). I also watched as Marion Jones destroyed her competition in Sydney, in 2000.

But, Ms. Jones didn't win with just what God gave her. She added to it, with performance-enhancing drugs. She was found out, and actually served six months of jail time for lying to a federal grand jury. In addition to that, her entire body of work from September 2000 on has been removed from the books. It's as if she never ran. She had to give up her medals. The other women who ran relays with her had to surrender their medals.

I got to thinking about that. She spent her entire life training for the Olympics. Everything she'd done from what should have been the pinnacle of her career is erased. Could she have beaten those other women with what God gave her? I think so. I mean, plenty of people take performance enhancing drugs, but plenty of people DON'T run 10.65 100m.

Ms. Jones was very kind and gracious, despite my interrupting her Sunday shopping with her children. When I asked who she was, there was brief flash of shame/worry. I wonder if she thought I was going to berate her for her mistakes. But she asked me for my name, looked me in the eye and shook my hand. But I regret this meeting. I regret that I didn't convey to her that even though she fell through her own choices, I still loved how I felt watching her compete. I especially regret that I didn't convey to her that Jesus loves her. I wish I had expressed that to her. Because I think that's something that she may know, but needed to hear.

I want to go deeper into this, but I have a 4-5 page research paper due in less than 6 hours, and I don't even have an outline.

This is the FINAL Time I...

...will mention Michael Jackson on my blog.

When he died, I was saddened, because I'd never seen him in concert, he left behind 3 children, and was a real contributor to music. However, some of the things I've heard in the last week and a half have been truly idiotic. Stupid. Moronic. I'll post one, and then after that, no more Michael Jackson on The Ogunbase Blog.

My lovely bride pointed me in the direction of this gem from the very wise Lil' Mama, from that show America's Best Dance Crew.

"Jesus Christ touched so many people. The story that they gave of this man...He healed people. Michael Jackson did the same thing, not only with his music, but with his performance and his personality."

No. That wasn't a typo. In the eyes of this dim 19 year old, Michael Jackson's impact on the world was like that of Jesus Christ.

I'm in disbelief that I can't even think of anything snarky to say. To compare the impact of the King of Kings (who is still making an impact, more than 2000 years since He LEFT the earth) to Michael Jackson is insulting. At BEST, Jackson will be remembered for another 50-60 years. I would hope some of that will be his music. But his memory will probably go something like this, "Michael Jackson was one of the best entertainers to ever walk the earth. It's too bad he ___________" (fill in the blank).

No, Lil' Mama. Michael Jackson's impact is nowhere near that of Jesus Christ. You should be ashamed of yourself for saying so.