Recently attending a first responder retirement for some brothers I observed something I hadn’t noticed before. There were some young guys (who arrived on duty, in uniform) who genuinely wanted to talk with the older guys. Several came up to me and told me they’d heard about me (not sure what that meant- good or bad). I looked over my shoulder, were they talking to me? They were.
I’m thankful I had the opportunity back in the day to mentor some dudes coming up. It was SO good to see the men I had worked with and did life with for a long time. I had no idea the effect of our old friendship with a few of them until I saw them. The masks were off, the authenticity was sincere, and the love was strong. Here were men I had known fairly well but had long missed due to circumstances beyond my control. I digress.
But the interest the young bucks seemed to have, wanting to understand and talk with us old dogs, it was refreshing to see. Energizing in fact. It gives me hope that there’s a generation coming up that wants to learn how to do their craft with excellence. If you’re perfecting your craft, becoming excellent at what it is you do… I like you already. In fact, I love you guys (and girls). Keep digging in, honing your excellence, and never never give up.
Here’s to the next generation! 🫡
