First and foremost, today has been the first day in just over two weeks that I've sincerely smiled. Today is the first day that I've actually felt good. I'm still a bit raw about some things, but, I'm getting better. Aeryn, I appreciate the time it took you to type what you did, especially when you didn't have to. As far as church, I'm a firm believer in God and God can do if you have him(?) in your life...but, I'm not really the most trusting of churches. I've seen a lot of shady activities in damn near every church I've been in...I'd rather just have a personal relationship with God for now. Could it improve? Yes. But, I'll work towards that and be fine with that for now. I don't knock anybody else for going to church, but I personally don't feel I need another man to tell me what relationship I should have with God. God is within us all...we just need to listen better.
But, to the point of this entry:
Back when I started teaching in '99, my students would always talk about wrestling all the time, but I didn't know who the Rock or Stone Cold was. So, because I wanted to be able to better relate to my students, I started watching wrestling. Clearly, this wasn't the wrestling I watched when I was younger. No, Vince McMahon (WWE's owner) had taken it to the next level by developing a very simple concept: a soap opera for men involving fighting, backstabbing, blood, violence and sexual innuendo provided by silicon enhanced women. Ingenious.
Round about '00, a atino wrestler by the name of Eddie Guerrero made his way to the WWE (then the WWF) prior to the total collapse of the once great WCW franchise. When he arrived, he arrived with best friend Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn. On the night of his debut, he dislocated his left elbow in the middle of a match. Eddie...kept wrestling. This guy was born into a family of wrestler's, his father wrestled...his brothers, his nephew Chavo is still with the WWE. He loved the business of entertaining, and he was one of the best in terms of control, athleticism and technique. I could see he had a lot going on sometimes, but, you could tell he loved performing for the fans. He fucking lived and died in the business of wrestling. To be honest, he was one of my favorites or just that reason: he loved what he did, and he was one of the best at it. He loved to perform, and he had charisma that you can't teach. He was my favorite behind The Undertaker and Kurt Angle.
It's humbling, heartbreaking even, to see the giants that make a living of jumping off of steel cages and fighting through injuries...men who build their entire persona on beig the toughest of the tough...cry like babies because this guy died. It's sad to think, this guy died at 38 years old. That he just celebrated his fourth anniversary of sobriety, that he just got his family back not long ago, that he became a born again Christian roughly 5 years ago. Then agin, it's beautiful, too. That he was able to get right before he left. I hope that I can have the passion and conviction with whatever I choose to do in life that Eddie had. That people who never met me can see in my eyes that I sincerely love and appreciate what I do.
To see Vince McMahon, (the 7 foot, 500+ pound) Big Show, Batista, Triple H...crying...human...is humbling. You guys may think it's trivial, but how many people who aren't yor flesh and blood will remember you the way you want them to whenever it is that you leave. That man was a hero to children all over the world. Imagine if Hulk Hogan died when you were a kid...especially when you take into consideration that there aren't a great deal of super star minority wrestlers...even now. You have to think what that means to that little hispanic kid in the hood way down in Texas...L.A.
Funny thing is, I used to kinda worry about his health because he kept getting bigger, but he did have a history of drugs and alcohol abuse. Mix that with 250 days out of the year on the road, wrestling through being sick, injured, without your loved ones...can wear on you. I'm sad that he's gone, because he brought so much to what did, and I admired his commitment and passion. But, I do believe that he was blessed to leave a great legacy, be remembered for being passionate and giving, loving his family, and being a good man of God. When it's all said and done, any man with common sense would want the same when he dies.
R.I.P. to a legend. Viva Eddie Guerrero.