FROM THE EDITOR
A Time for Heroes and A Time for Fans

By: Jeffrey Abramson, Executive Editor
Good News Phoenix Magazine

Over the past week I have had the grand opportunity to spend time with my five - year - old nephew, Isaac. It is rare that I get to spend much time with the little guy since he lives in Castle Rock, Colorado. But, every year he makes a stop in Phoenix (despite a busy “Bob the Builder” schedule) for Spring Training baseball games.

It was a bit depressing to hear that he had changed his mind about becoming a pitcher like his Uncle Jeff. Once upon a time I was his baseball hero. We would go to Major League Baseball games and he would ask, “Which team did you play for Uncle Jeff?” It is never easy to explain why I never made it that far.

But now his baseball hero has shifted. Isaac now looks up to Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday. He used to say that he wanted to pitch and wear my jersey number. Now he says that he wants to play outfield and wear Matt Holliday’s number five.

My secret hope is that he gets the Abramson running speed (cement-shoes slow) and is forced to pitch but that is a selfish way to look at things.

Before I ever have children of my own, I have already learned how hero’s can shift. But, children see our character flaws. With that in mind, can you really blame them?

They watch a player on television or go to a game and hear the cheers but never get to know the person. They want those cheers.

It is for that reason alone that I am willing to sacrifice my own hero status (or what is left of it) and start cheering on the boy who will someday be a man. I want him to feel what it is like to be Matt Holliday. I want him to experience a standing ovation even if I am the only one standing.

You see, the day he was born I wrote him a note on a baseball. I said that even if he never gripped a ball in a baseball game, that I would love him just the same. If it is physics, music or a U.S. Senator, I will be one of the many people in his life that never stops cheering.

This was an important lesson for me to learn during his recent visit and I am glad that I learned it before I have children of my own. Also, it is a lesson that we can all learn in the way that we treat others. You see, everyone from five to 105 loves to be cheered on for their accomplishments. We should even be cheering on the people that we don’t like. This practice warms the hearts of the cheer-ee and the cheer-er.

Let’s face it, the older you get, the less people care about your daily activities. But, lets do everything we can to start caring. Let’s cheer on our waiter for fast service and, even if that waiter doesn’t keep up with your water glass, let’s cheer him on when he does.

We buy our sports jerseys and hats to show that we support our favorite team and we take pride in that. Why not take that same amount of pride in biggest fan of John or Jane Doe in your office or church?

This world needs heroes and this world needs fans. Without these things, there would be no sports. So, cheer someone on today and watch it be infectious. Pay it forward. You might be the first fan that person has had in a long, long time.