The Blind Side is titled after a football term, and the movie is focused primarily in that arena, so to speak. However, in it's own way it bends the hearts of all those non-football knower's too. Sooner or later, we all endure those moments...the moments that take us by surprise.
When I was a child I went all sorts of places with my Dad. He had a truck, and we called it "Old Blue." It may have been a 1972 Chevy, I can't remember. In an early memory, I can see him backing down a path as close as he could get to a strip cut. With his green "John Boat" in the back, he and my Uncle Mike in tow. I attempted to help, while they lugged that boat into the water. The day began and ended in the wilderness. Three Storms out on the water fishing.
Around the same time, I can remember going to play golf with Dad with my own clubs that he bought me. When I got too tired he carried me, my bag and his, until we finished the round.
Later on in life but not too long, my friends and I decided that the coolest thing to do was to have camp outs. When I was allowed to host one of these extravaganzas in our back yard, my friends were eager to come. Not only because of what a "good" friend I was, but also because they all loved Dad. He was their Little League baseball coach, and we were the Cubs. Dad made the best fire for us that night. He locked it in with cinder blocks and it was big! I was really proud of that.
Dad has an honest way of being. He believes in keeping everything going on the straight and narrow. I know he works hard on being the best for our family; and we all love him for that. The movie, The Blind Side, reminded me of my Dad in a few ways. I won't ruin the movie for you, but here's why:
Out all the things I learned from him, I learned that respect is earned. I also learned that there is no reason to pass judgment on other people. Sooner or later, we will all walk down the same paths. But most importantly, Dad, without knowing, showed me what it means to be honorable.
When I was a boy in the middle of the night with the wind and the house making sounds, I knew we were safe because Dad was there. He was tough, but kind. Dad often believed in me and my sister Shannon more than we believed in ourselves.
Sometimes in life we are blindsided and blessed by it. Many of us are born into love, and life seems easy at first. But, unfortunately, some people are not born into love. This movie tells a story that is different from my life growing up or my life right now. The film touches on some really important values - values that our parents work hard early on to give us. These same values and principles become part of our conscience.
A few years ago, I watched a man rise from a chair to see his Mother's face. A man I had watched many of the days of my life. That day more than any other I waited to see how he would react. Soon, I noticed that he had done something I had not expected but did not surprise me all together. He went to the sister and brother that were in the room as well, and embraced both of them. That was man was my Dad.
Dads and Sons don't always have to explain these sorts of things. We don't always lend ourselves to these types of conversations. My hands on these keys might as well be his but in a younger form. My face, my body, they all speak his name, so much so that it makes it a difficult task to blind side one another. My father is different from yours, and yours is probably different from mine. But once upon a time, I got the chance to see all of Dad. I was kind of blind sided by him.
The family in this movie does that to one another throughout. Lending themselves to change, to love, and to kindness. Not in a "Lifetime Movie" sort of way either. They do it through being themselves, working hard in the same direction even though they all work in different ways the end result is amazing.
To be able to create a union where all your blind sides are covered is family. Whether you’re a football family, baseball, basketball, food family, whatever your family is. It's the room filled with laughter or silence that is content. It's everyone singing to the same tune on the radio, in a brown Mercury Topaz, It's a lifetime of building on what was already there in the beginning.
I have blogged about many members of my family. I have touched on humor and heart. I have mentioned my Dad numerous times, but I haven't tagged him to date. You see, Dad is a private and modest man. He may not even be crazy about this being put out there right now. But combining sportsmanship, family, and kindness in a film brought him to mind.
Our thoughts may vary from time to time, and that of course is natural. But no matter how I cut my hair or what clothes I throw on in the morning; my very flesh is an emblem of his name and his person, and I am proud of that, because I'm proud of my Dad.
Check out The Blind Side when you get the chance, and see who it brings to your mind.
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