Tough Times

"Tough times don't last, tough people do." - Les Brown

Following a year-long investigation by the state's attorney's office, outspoken public figure Les Brown's charitable organization was not only exonerated from charges of mismanagement, but praised when it was discovered that he had put $13,000 of his own money into the program to subsidize it. Not all good deeds are destined to lay in the shadows, sometimes fate uses them as an example for others to see.

America embraces those who endure tough times without complaint, whether it's of their own making or not. Few baseball players were as despised in the media during their playing days, or revered by the time of their death, as Ted Williams. What about Muhammad Ali, the boxer who famously threw his Olympic gold medal in the river as a protest against the American government, and later received the loudest cheers and the honor of lighting the torch at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympic games?

Both Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn played their entire 20+ year baseball careers for a single team, almost unheard of today. They also endured far more losing seasons than winning ones. And they were celebrated as model citizens, why? Because they continued to smile and speak respectfully, even as their prestige grew to a level that could have been quite influential.

In this day and age in American society, refusing to be negative equates to remarkable optimism! It's tough, and it's worthwhile.