We all have someone that we put above others. That we look up to for inspiration. Whether they're someone actually in our lives that we know personally, or a celebrity that just inspires us to be better. There's also a saying that goes... "Don't meet your heroes". Why? Maybe because they're not really who they portray themselves to be. Maybe you could catch them on a bad day and they'll be a dick. Either way you can have your expectations shattered and dreams ruined. Personally, I can't think of anyone I've met that treated me poorly. But I can tell you who gave me the most satisfaction with the least amount of interaction.
Last weekend I went to C2E2 in Chicago with the sole purpose of finally meeting my hero CM Punk. I've been a fan of professional wrestling for nearly 35 years, but it wasn't until June 24, 2006 that I discovered my favorite wrestler.
After I heard him say "I don't drink. I don't smoke. I don't do drugs", I was hooked. Because just like him, I'm straight edge too. And because of my convictions, I've found it difficult to fit in sometimes. Even with some of my best friends. He showed me though that I'm not alone. That it was perfectly fine to be like that no matter what society says. I didn't need any of that to have fun like some people do. I don't need any of that to use as a crutch to function in my life and society. And since then any time that I may have found myself in a dark place where I thought maybe I should give in to something just to make myself "feel better", I thought of him and how he inspires me. Last weekend I finally had the opportunity to tell him the impact he's had on my life. I hardly remember the interaction he had with my kids because I was too nervous trying to think of what I wanted to say. I do know they were excited to meet him and he was very polite with them as well. When it was my turn, I stumbled and fumbled with my words and tried my damndest not to get too emotional in telling him how important his message was to me all the while he had a big smile on his face. And when I was done, he just asked me my name, shook my hand, and said "That was the point". Damn good enough for me
