Can you believe this?
It's a common refrain, isn't it? You're likely to hear it at work. "Can you believe what the boss wants us to do now?" You hear it at the water cooler. "Can you believe the Tiger Woods story?" You might hear it from a basketball coach. "Can you believe he called that a charge on us???"
You might not believe this, but it's not about what you can and can't believe. It's not about what you're willing and not willing to believe, either.
It's about what you know you can believe in. Today, all sorts of people want you to believe all sorts of things. I moved from Detroit to Baltimore and discovered the two towns are literally the same town in different places. Both cities are besieged by poor inner-city schools, rampant crime, unemployment and both are situated on breathtaking waterways. Two beer & a shot towns, to be certain.
But in Baltimore, disgraced Mayor Sheila Dixon wants you to believe she didn't know gift cards she demanded from developers for the right to do work with the city were to go to the needy. She wants you to believe that even though her handlers demanded them in the name of needy children, her shopping sprees were nothing more than innocent follies.
In Detroit, former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick wants you to believe he can only afford six dollars a month towards his million-dollar restitution after paying his expenses. He wants you to believe he's the victim in the perjury and wrongful termination he was found guilty of committing as he jet-sets around the country, while his wife gets plastic surgery and his fool of a boss, Peter Karmanos, sits idle to the embarrassment the 'Playa Mayor' has become.
I believe if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Believe that, right?
Baseball's ultimate liar, Pete Rose, wanted you to believe he was telling the truth when he professed he never bet on baseball. Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis wants you to believe he's still competent.
Tiger Woods wants you to believe he's sorry. White America wants you to believe they're not hypocritical and judgmental. Black America wants you to believe they're not insecure and self-conflicted. Society in general wants you to believe a white, trophy wife indicates life's successes. Who believes any of this?
The list could go on for days. Britney desperately wants you to believe he's still relevant. Lindsay Lohan wants you to believe she's still an A-list commodity. Paris Hilton wants you to believe she's witty and smart. Ron Artest wants you to believe he's a talented, cutting-edge entertainer instead of a rage-filled, irrational loose cannon. Referee publisher Barry Mano wants you to believe he knows what's best for the industry of officiating by blasting officials for using social media after he put NFL buff ref Ed Hochuli on the cover of his magazine, he the author of his self-promotion site, NFL85.com.
The Chicago White Sox want you to believe they're a player in Chicago's baseball passion. The Detroit Lions want you to believe they can win. Hell, I want you to believe I can write.
The real lesson is being able to believe yourself when you look in the mirror. Like anyone else, I've made mistakes, and my missteps, like anyone else's, are mine and mine alone. Most were minor, a few were major and I have to own them all. And I can't go back and change them. All I can do is admit my shortcomings, learn from the pragmatic reflection upon those missteps and assure myself and others I've learned my lesson.
I believe I, and anyone else, too, can do that, every day. Believe that.
Regards...
~T.C. Cameron's 2nd title, Metro Detroit's High School Basketball Rivalries, makes a great gift for all basketball fans and is available through retailers nationwide.
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