REP YOUR HOOD
Some people say that Memphians are paranoid. Others say we have an inferiority complex. I don’t know if I would go quite that far but we definitely have our challenges. However, the greatness of any city or community are the people who live there, hope, dream and work there.
At the conference with Darren Hardy, best selling author, speaker, advisor and former publisher of SUCCESS magazine.
A couple of months ago I was in Las Vegas for an international fitness convention and summit. There were thousands of people attending the conference from many countries around the world. While waiting to proceed to my next session I noticed a gentleman I didn’t recognize staring in my direction. There was really no one standing that close to me, but he appeared to be looking directly at me and smiling. As my heart rate began to quicken I took a fast glance in his direction hoping that he would not see me–looking at him–looking at me.
To my surprise, though, the gentleman was gleefully striding toward me. As I attempted to calm myself and prepare for this seemingly inevitable encounter I wondered who this guy thought I was. When the gentleman was within a couple of feet of me, he smiled, looked up at my iconic blue baseball cap with Tiger jumping through the M, and emphatically said “Morristown High School.” I disgustedly looked him in the eye and said, “No, University of Memphis.”
How could the pride of Memphis institutions be confused with a high school? Perhaps this was a native Nashvillian’s twisted idea of putdown humor of our fabled river city.
Shelby Crosby, aka “The Doc”, working on greatness.
The greatness of the city can only mirror the high accomplishments of those who reside in that city. If you reside in the 901: are you satisfied with the greatness it has obtained and whatever measure of greatness it has managed to maintain? Does it even matter if someone somehow confuses you with Morristown High?
Popular Memphis radio sports talk show host Gary Parrish ends his daily evening show by stating, “Rep Your Hood.” Is Mr. Parrish saying you should talk more about your city? Or could he be saying we should elevate our hood (neighborhood, community or city) by owning it, by wearing it, by exemplifying the best our city can offer by being compelled enough to offer the best that is within us?
Can a small business in your hood help accomplish this? (Small businesses in America was once considered the lifeblood of our American economy) Can a small fitness facility in your community create something beneficial, fun, meaningful and special by helping to motivate its clients to strive daily to be a little bit better version of themselves–whether that be physically, mentally or spiritually?
Then again, maybe it’s just not that big of a deal to you to be mistaken for Morristown High.
REP YOUR HOOD
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