Can you throw a football?
I can’t throw a football - like a man should be able to throw a football.
I spoke at a Gritty Man Camp a couple of weeks ago. It was with a bunch of men from my church. In my opening talk, I shared about my inability to throw things - like the rocks and footballs - the way a man should be able to throw things.
My adopted dad tried once, but I am a little hyper and spastic (is that an ok word to use these days?). It didn’t go well. Once he even started to show me how to golf. That didn’t go well either. I did a hard swing before he got out of the way and I clocked him in the head with golf club. He didn’t get knocked out or anything - I was pretty young and skinny - so the hit wasn’t too bad. But the lesson was over. I guess I only got one chance both times…
So I shared that story in one of the teaching sessions. The weekend continued with lots of manly activities and some more Gritty Friendships talks from me. A bunch of us, including me, even shot high powered guns at targets. I have only done that once before. It made me really nervous, but several of my friends coaxed me to do it and gave me calm instructions - since they sensed how nervous I was.
When we got back, we were chatting about it and I thanked a friend for coaxing me into doing something I was trying to avoid. He said,” That’s not the only thing I am going to help you do.” He got up and started to walk toward a truck that had stuff in the back. I knew what he was going to try to do. He wanted to show me how to throw a football. I objected loudly. “I am NOT going to throw a football. I told you all that I wouldn’t and that my telling you that story was not a masked ask for pity and instruction!” He ignored me and grabbed a football. He quickly tutored me in the “hows” of football throwing. And then it happened. We started throwing a football. After a 49 year gap, I was throwing a football!
We did that for about 10 minutes - long enough for my forearm to get a little sore. I wasn’t too good at it. It felt way better than it looked. One of my closer friends even teased me a little on my form - which I have to admit hurt my feelings in the moment and I secretly vowed to never throw a football ever again. I probably will throw a football again - it was fun and it was growth!
This is how you “throw a football” in Gritty Friendships
THROW “FOOTBALLS”
Do things that you usually avoid
Even if you don’t do it well at first
TEACH PEOPLE TO “THROW FOOTBALLS”
Help others do things they usually avoid
Coax them into it with compassion and assertion
Helping each other grow should be a staple in any Gritty Friendship. So learn from each other and teach each other!
Check out my #1 bestselling book “Gritty Friendships - Bringing Purpose and Value to Male Relationships - available on Amazon.
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