It's easy to get caught up in all the Chad Johnson and Adam Jones news today, but in the interest of fairness, let's talk this morning about a professional athlete going above and beyond the call of duty.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Jessica Simpson enthusiast Tony Romo is racking up quite a reputation as a nice guy. His latest act was treating a homeless Dallas man to an afternoon at the movies.
From the Dallas News:
Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Jessica Simpson enthusiast Tony Romo is racking up quite a reputation as a nice guy. His latest act was treating a homeless Dallas man to an afternoon at the movies.
From the Dallas News:
"Romo, who confirmed the story but didn't want to elaborate, waved Doc over to sit by him and his friend. Doc sheepishly mentioned that he hadn't showered in a few days.
"Don't worry about that," Romo said. "I'm used to locker rooms."
And so the $67 million quarterback and a man who doesn't have $6.70 to his name sat next to each other and shared laughs for 90 minutes or so.
Romo's seems like a genuine nice guy. But I wonder how much times this happens and goes un-reported. Then again, I wonder how many thousands of times your typical middle class worker has done this without any acknowledgment. It's definitely a nice gesture, but we shouldn't praise Romo like he has done something no man has ever done before. Keep it in perspective.
"we shouldn't praise Romo like he has done something no man has ever done before."
I would agree, except that Tony Romo is in the public eye. Professional athletes, whether they like it or not, are role models, however most of them try to shun that title and live a life of excess while ignoring the woes of those around them.
This is not how Romo has gone about his business. He's shown, multiple times, that he's willing to help those that need it. This is a great example for children and should be lauded. It shows that no matter how much money you have, no matter what your place in society is, you should be kind to those around you.
I think Romo would want this thing to go un-reported. The person he helps always talks after. It was the same way when he stop and change the flat tire for that couple. They start emailing news outlets telling them what he did.
I have experienced the misery of homelessness at several points in my life and, although there is a certain sense of freedom to it, it is a dangerous and miserable lifestyle that is hard to rise out of. Contrary to popular belief, most homeless did not become so out of choice. Most did not become homeless because they are lazy, stupid, or immoral. Many homeless people are victims of abuse in the form of neglect and abandonment by their parents or other caregivers. Like many victims of abuse, a lot of them have chemical dependency problems. Their existence is so miserable that they use alcohol or other drugs as an escape. Some of them are simply victims of life’s tragedies, such as hurricanes, fires, or other catastrophes from which they simply don’t have the resources to recover. Also, there is a snowball effect that occurs with homelessness. After all, who is going to hire someone with no address? Most homeless people don’t have the resources to even do their laundry; who is going to hire someone in filthy clothes? Also once a person has fallen to the level of living on the streets it is very difficult for them to get a job even if they are capable of working, because the condition of homelessness creates a low sense of self-esteem which makes it difficult to relate to other people. It is difficult to find, much less keep a job once a person’s self-esteem is so badly damaged. I invite you to my website: www.FreetheGods.com. There you will find pictures I have taken of homeless people. I always give them a dollar or two for the privilege of photographing them. Usually, I am surprised by their cheerfulness and sense of pride. Often, they will show themselves to have some kind of talent. There is a fine line between genius and insanity.