Mark McIntosh's Blog, page 16

Pep Talk: "We Might Get Wet But Ain't Gonna Drown"

“The water is rising and the land is sinking,” stated our handsome tour guide Enrique. Other than that, from what was seen through the eye - have a cataract in the left one and can’t see out of it - of an aging jock, Venice, Italy was looking just fine.
I didn’t know what to expect prior to visiting the northeastern Italy city for a rendezvous with darling wife. The business executive had been there for meetings before this knucklehead flew in for some fun.
“You’re gonna love it!” many would say. “It’s so romantic!” Others would counter, “You’re gonna hate it. Too much trash in the water!” Well, I loved it: the food, vibe, history and, for me, a powerful example to the unlimited potential of the human spirit and mind.
From information gathered, it seems about 150,000 folks live, work or play in the one-time maritime center of the world. It’s a bustling place, even in the off-season when the cool and damp weather keeps the tourist population down a bit. But what amazed me in this thriving spot of humanity was that you’d never see a car or truck.
People went about their business by boat, walking or riding a bicycle. I found that very cool and refreshing.
117 islands separated by canals and connected by bridges. Almost every island had its own piazza, church and cistern. Narrow walkways separated restaurants, hotels, shops, homes and businesses. If you’re claustrophobic, Venice might not be your town.
The city floods all the time. “More than 150 times a year,” Enrique suggested. Everywhere you walk, platforms are stacked neatly. Wooden sentries stationed for when the tide or rains come and water rises. When needed, the platforms are laid out so residents, workers and tourists can step upon them and go about their merry way. Also, it’s the city of masks. Shops with masks are everywhere.
So is a spirit of adaptation. Sure, the water might be rising and the land sinking but Venetians figure out a way to keep on truckin’. Well, in their case, it would be, “keep on boating, walking or pedaling.”
Standing inside of St. Mark’s Cathedral, built about 900 years ago, while gazing up into the five-dome grandeur that is the massive shrine, the mind wanders to, “How in the heck did they build something like this so long ago?”
Venice. One word continues to pound into my brain. Ingenuity. Oxford American Dictionary defines it as, “Cleverness, imagination, inventiveness.” Those characteristics have served Venetians well for thousands of years. Cleverness, imagination and inventiveness will serve us well too.
Is the water rising or land sinking in your world? Where might it be time to shift from whatever is, to what could be? Take a gondola ride with ingenuity.
If history’s any indication, it’s a darn good thing to possess. Life brings us challenges. Let’s learn from the Venetians. We might get wet but, thanks to an ingenuity platform, we ain’t gonna drown.

Pep Talk: "One Step From Stupid"

Most know the ‘ol saying, “Good things come in threes.” Is it true? The knuckleheads of A Stronger Cord sure believe so. For instance, we believe in fitness-minded, dependable and productive versus isolated, unfit and stressed.
What follows are three different statements that have blasted into this aging jock’s cranium the past few weeks. Different. However, for a simple dude from Missouri, with the same meaning. In no order of preference whatsoever, as Jim Lange used to say on the television show, The Dating Game, “Here they are!”
“We’re just one step from stupid.” This brilliant line comes from a brother from another mother, Dennis Jenkins. We like to joke, we’re “Ebony and Ivory” or “Salt and Pepper” or, and we crack up, “Dumb and Dumber.” A giant man with an even bigger spirit. A water restoration specialist by trade but a knucklehead when it comes to believing in ASC’s mission to reduce the amount of isolated, unfit and stressed folks in our communities. He’s all in. The Colorado native gets quite competitive on the basketball or volleyball court and leads chapel services each week at the Denver Rescue Mission. He encourages men there and anybody else listening, “We’re always one step from stupid.” For us, the more we hang with one another and challenge one another to heed Jenkins’ advice, the better off we’re gonna be, right? Please say yes!
“We have a choice in life. Be a turtle or a giraffe.” This wonderful statement rolls off Darrwin Ben’s tongue often. An Arkansas Razorback fan - this knucklehead can call the ‘Hogs - is another dude taking a leadership role in ASC’s march forward. The Navy veteran was wounded in action during duty in the Gulf War. His ship hit a mine. Something hit the back of his head really hard. Ben loves to mention “turtles versus giraffes” when talking about settling for whatever lies right before, or below, our point of view. Instead, he encourages others to reach for higher ground in search of more fruitful sustenance. He’s a man on a mission to help fellow military veterans return from the ravages of war and embrace a spirit of fitness-minded, dependable and productive. Ben believes “Too many vets have left their post”  as men in our society. Pig Sooooeeeeee, Razorback! Love his spirit.
“Attack the issue not the individual.” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock muttered this gem recently during a race relations event in Denver. In wake of Ferguson and New York City, and the unrest it festered, the popular leader led an overflow crowd in a conversation about it. Can you imagine? What would our world - homes, businesses, neighborhoods, teams, schools and whatever else I’ve forgotten - look like if we focused on attacking issues that divide us, not individuals? Holy smokes Batman.
Why not give it try? What would we have to lose? 
This week, let’s stay one step from stupid; reach for higher ground and, if necessary, attack the issue not the individual. It’s a terrific trio.

Pep Talk: "Guts and Gusto!

It’s a chilly Friday night in the Mile High City, darling wife is away, Billy Joel’s playing in the background and I’m thinking of my old man. This day, the ninth of January, would have been his 84th birthday. Cancer took his life, but nothing can quench that man’s spirit.
That’s my pledge to him.
My mind wanders to the night before. At the usual A Stronger Cord Thursday night workout, this ol’ jock had encouraged and challenged the other gathered knuckleheads with, “Let’s have a great workout in honor of my old man.”
What a guy.
Challenges? You have challenges in life? Of course you do. We all do, right? Marvin Walter McIntosh, Jr. was the oldest male in a six pack of siblings. The oldest boy. His father - I never met him - checked out before my father was ten. His mom died shortly thereafter. Grandparents raised six kids. Dirt poor. Dad used to say, “We didn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out.” I hope that doesn’t offend. It’s the truth.
But he never complained.
From a dirt poor and uneducated background rose a great man. A knucklehead for sure - tap dancing on bar tops in golf spikes - but a dude that rose above adversity, time and again. From quite humble beginnings the father of four cared for his kids, rose to outstanding business success and befriended a ton of folks who would have ran through a brick wall for a enthusiastic spirit who loved to organize golf gatherings.
So I’m sitting here on a cold Colorado evening with Joel cranking out “Say Goodbye To Hollywood” and, considering it would have been my golf buddy’s 84th birthday, somewhat pensively wondering, as Donovan sang long ago, "To catch the wind and play a round of golf with Dad.” He’s missed greatly.
And then I zoom back to the night before, when a bunch of knuckleheads from missions to mansions and everything in between came together for a wonderful workout that honored a guy affectionally called, “Marv Dog.”
We were, to steal a line from the beloved ’89 Colorado Buffaloes, “One Heart Beat.”
With gusto and guts, everybody poured heart and soul into a challenging workout. There was a spirit present on this night that, at least for this simple dude from Missouri, resonated with the ol’ man sitting up there, at the 19th hole after a round, shouting, “Way to go!”
That’s just the way Hacker Mac was. There were many bumps, physical, emotional, and financial along the road. He never allowed himself time to be a victim of them. He attacked life with guts and gusto. Trust me folks, it was not a walk in the park. Dad persevered. He never gave up.
The knuckleheads gathered for ASC’s Thursday “Sweat, bond and grow” gathering poured that kind of magic potion into the workout in honor of my old man. Pretty cool.
Guts and gusto. Worked for my father. It’ll work for us, too!

Pep Talk: "Prove Otherwise"

Controversy had struck A Stronger Cord. A front-page story in the December 26, 2014 edition of the Denver Post, while generating valued exposure and outreach, had created consternation within the ranks.
Some of the guys living at the Denver Rescue Mission felt reporter Jennifer Brown had not portrayed them as desired. For the record, I thought it was well written story telling.  From personal experience, it’s a common challenge for journalists and their subjects. In my sportscasting days, there were many times, after creating a profile piece on a newsmaker, they would later inquire, “Why did you say that?” or, “Why didn’t you include this?”
It’s the challenge of having someone else define us. It will certainly be open to interpretation.
That’s true whether we’re talking a growing platoon of ASC knuckleheads coming together to sweat, bond and grow while reducing the amount of isolated, unfit and stressed out dudes living in our community; a group of folks coming together to reduce the amount of sugary foods in schools; a group of folks trying to clean up streets. Whatever.
Brown, who has been reporting in the Post extensively about Colorado’s mental health challenges over the past few months, nailed the story well but ASC continues to evolve. For instance, since the journalist/fitness enthusiastic and photographer visited about a month ago, we’ve partnered with Union Baptist Church.
We needed a winter home because participation had grown and the Denver Rescue Mission’s Crossing facility doesn’t have a gym, and it’s often too cold outside. As mentioned last week, ASC needed a gym. Union Baptist was looking for men to fill its gym. Bingo. A match made in heaven.
We’re also starting community outreach. Knuckleheads knocking. In groups of three,  fanning out into the neighborhood around the church. Looking for isolated men, knocking on their doors with, “Hey buddy, come join us for a workout.” Finding the single mothers in the neighborhood. Knocking on their door with, “Trust us with your sons.”
Brown wrote the story about two weeks before it was published on the day after Christmas. ASC had evolved in the interim. Some of the guys wondered why the emphasis of the piece was more on their past than ASC’s future.
We’re all knuckleheads. A bunch of dudes, with checkered pasts, but united in trying to become more fitness-minded, dependable and productive men. We choose to believe that type of spirit will help us build a stronger cord - thus the name - to families, jobs and communities. We all win. If pulling up to a fast-food speaker, we’d bellow, “Supersize it!”
The point is this: others will always have their perceptions, opinions and interpretations of our thoughts, words and actions. That’s okay. That’s life. Let’s just make sure those perceptions, opinions and interpretations do not define us.
But let’s also remember our past should not define us either. If the past leads to certain perceptions, opinions and interpretations deemed unflattering, it’s incumbent that we prove otherwise.
Good luck this week!

Pep Talk: "Three Wise Men"

Darling wife had waded into the sea of shoppers on the final Sunday before Christmas. NFL football’s in the background, crooner Aaron Neville’s singing and this knucklehead starts thinking about three men.
Each has bored into my marrow with their passion for team. They come from different walks of life but share a similar spirit. They understand the importance of being on the same page with others. One Heart Beat. Yoked. United. Call if whatever the heck you wanna call it. There are exceptions to every rule, but most of the time when speaking of successful teams from athletics, business, non-profit, civic or wherever, folks talk about a bond. A cord that is not easily broken. These three men exude that belief. It’s infectious. Just my opinion, but, admirable. Wise to emulate. From baseball, when talking about these dudes, the announcer might suggest, “Here’s the batting order.”
Leading off? John Ware. What a guy. He’s a chaplain at the Denver Rescue Mission. He works with the same guys as the “A Stronger Cord” project works with. Fellow knuckleheads trying to overcome life’s challenges. A graduate of the Mission’s New Life Program (NLP), the 63-year-old dove right into ASC’s warm up, workout and hang out philosophy. Good dude. Makes things happen. The kind of guy buddy Billy Mac from Hackensack likes to bellow, “Would charge from the fox hole with ya!” Got your back.
Batting second is Lester Fisher. Not surprisingly, I was introduced to the church deacon through Ware. A fellow NLP graduate encouraged Denver’s oldest African-American church to throw open its gym for ASC. The workouts at the Crossing, a nearby Mission facility where Ware works, had outgrown space reserved for indoor exercise during cold weather. Union Baptist said, “Come on over, boys.” 
Next year, in partnership with the church, ASC is launching a neighborhood outreach campaign targeted at isolated men and fatherless boys. There are plenty of each. Les Fisher is yoked in trying to reduce their numbers. A valued comrade.
Batting third is Denver Police Chief Robert White. Along with a fellow knucklehead, your scribe attended the city of Denver’s recent gathering on race. It was held at the Colorado History Museum. It was productive. Obviously, residents of the Mile High City - I’m one of them - have room for improvement. We all do, right? There’s always room for improvement. Every time I’ve heard Chief White speak the message has focused on the importance of community and police force being yoked. It requires everybody to check egos and agendas at the door and work for something greater than ourselves. Simple, not easy. Home. Work. Elsewhere. The three-year chief gets that and, at least when I’ve been present, implores others, “We gotta work together.”
All these men get that elusive quest. Right on.
It’s amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit. The question becomes, will we believe it? Three wise men do. I hope you do, too.

Pep Talk: "Ask!"

Patsy Sue was in a pickle. A predicament. 
With a moving date drawing near and prior obligations precluding family members from assisting, the almost-octogenarian needed help packing beloved belongings for the next frontier.
What follows could spark a debate between divine intervention enthusiasts and those who believe in random luck. One thing is indisputable: we control our destiny, including the necessity to ask for what we need. The irony? Often, when least expected, we reap a harvest more plentiful than originally thought or desired.
Mom was looking for a moving assistant. However, in one of the greatest holidays gifts ever, was presented with far more. My feisty mother had reached out to an employee at the assisted living facility she was departing. “Know anybody looking for work helping an old lady pack?” The concerned worker did. Her sister. Here’s where the debate begins. Blind luck or a God thing?
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, birth place of Elvis Presley, the magnificence that is Mable moved north to the Midwest with family, eventually settling into a long career working for Pepsi Cola at one of its bottling plants in Kansas City, Missouri. “Missed less than two weeks of work because of illness in more than 28 years.” Mable is dependable.
What started innocently with helping Patsy Sue pack for yet another move has turned into a modern-day version of “Thelma and Louise.” Mom’s original destination suddenly was not available. What to do? In less than 48 hours the grandma to eight had to vacate her current residence. Moving is tough on anybody, regardless of age, but this was the second move in less than a year for a woman nearing her eighth decade of life. Those caring for aging parents know the drill. Stress was high. “Where is mom going to go?”
Mable is resourceful. A long-time resident of Kansas City, Kansas, the mother of a military man knew of another nearby senior-living facility. The crisis passed. Mom had a new home, providing comfort and safety, not too far from her former nesting ground.
Two women thrown together. One who had somewhat grudgingly asked for help. The other, it would be later discovered, who in retirement, had been seeking a chance to help. Mable has a special spirit. A servant’s heart.
The dynamic duo now spend many hours a week together. They run errands, shop, attend church, pour love toward others, converse about life and, yes, bicker on occasion. Companions. We all need companions, right? This roller coaster we call life was not meant to be traveled solo. It’s too hard. We need to connect.
Kudos to mom. She asked and received. Mable. The best Christmas gift possible for children concerned about the welfare of an aging, but still quite able mother. This week, don’t hesitate to bury pride, anger, resentment or whatever stuff is preventing you from asking for what you need.
Mom asked for a moving assistant. An entire family got a miracle. You might too. Ask!

Pep Talk: "Tombstone Talk"

The black man who’s like a brother bellowed, “We have got to figure out a way to come together!” Your scribe was sitting right next to this passionate man in a room full of knuckleheads. 
The conversation this Friday morning had turned to Ferguson and New York City. Men killing one another for what most would suggest are silly and insane reasons. What the heck is going on around here?
With fire in his eyes and saliva on his lips, the man boomed a question deep into the hearts and souls of those gathered. “Come on dudes, what are we afraid of?” To that, my fox hole buddy, I shout to the mountaintops, “Damn good question!”
What are we afraid of? Is anybody else tired of the status quo? Protests in the streets, isolated men and women on the streets and a widening inequality on the financial sheets. Just three of many ailments hampering American society today.
I go back to my buddy’s first question, about figuring out a way to come together. Victory’s got one. A Stronger Cord. Yep. How about “Figuring out a way to come together“ starts with a workout? Warm up. Work out. Hang out. Sweat. Bond. Grow. We challenge one another to become more fitness-minded, dependable and productive human beings because we believe it will help us build a stronger cord to families, jobs and communities?
Could it be that if we convene, lather up a bit, kick the ol’ endorphins into motion and THEN hang out it could provide a glimmer of hope? Work the body then the brain in the quest to prevail against what ails? We have an obesity problem in this country too. At the very least, those who participate in ASC workouts get in better physical shape. Who knows, with a little luck, we might make progress growing closer in mind and spirit as well. It’s just an idea. Why not give it a shot? Any other ideas? Fire away!
This much I do know: this aging jock is grateful for the men and women sharing a similar passion for ASC. Thanks to all showing up for workouts, hang outs, community meetings and other stuff associated with ASC’s rollout. We’re on a mission to reduce  isolation and obesity. We have far too much of each. They’re dragging us down physically, emotionally and financially.
So ASC is our dream. What’s yours? To steal my buddy’s words, “What will it take to bring folks together in support of those dreams? What are you afraid of?”
At the end of the day, perhaps, it comes down to this: What do we want those responsible, if pressured to decide, to write on our tombstones? Do we want someone to carve into granite that we lived powered by the destructive duo of fear and self doubt? Or the dynamic duo of courage and wonderment?
This week, if talk ever turns to tombstones, make the latter come alive!

Pep Talk: "Let's Give It A Shot!"

The man sitting next to me in the noisy room leaned close, smiled wide and pronounced, “I am so proud of her.”
What a difference a few months make. It speaks to the power of a group to influence thoughts, words and actions. It can be incredibly productive or destructive. In this man’s case, association with a team helped keep him sane during an insane moment. A teenage daughter, legally an adult, had met a man online, fallen in love and moved across the country to live with the fellow young adult and his family.
Every Friday morning, this gentle soul would not hold back the anguish felt for a wayward child. Who meets a dude on the Internet, forgoes college, packs bags and ventures into a future fraught with peril? Crazy.
Many of us are certainly guilty of similar stupidity, right? Each week this man would seek strength and guidance from a bunch of knuckleheads, many with similar tales of woe concerning a child’s illogical thinking. Veterans of such harrowing moments implored the health-care worker to persevere, pray and believe, “This too shall pass.”
It did. To no one’s surprise the relationship soured. The child moved back to Colorado, is now enrolled in college, paying for it and living independently. A brain-cramp moment has led a young woman to march forward on the maturity meter. It has brought peace to a father’s soul, and a smile to his face.
Challenges. We all have ‘em, right? Don’t face them alone. Teamwork is the key to success!
My mind wanders to our nation’s turmoil. Racial and social justice protests in the streets, mostly peaceful, but some violent and tragic. Will the demonstrations bring about positive change? How can we harness this energy, tension and frustration in an attempt to build bridges over barriers dividing us?
It’s one of the attributes of Victory’s “A Stronger Cord” project. Barriers are removed. Interested folks stare at a picture of sweaty dudes. “Who are the homeless, and who are the lawyers, doctors, salesmen and trainers?” It’s difficult to correctly identify, via the labels offered, the pictured men.
Exercise is an equalizer. A connector. It provides an opportunity to build the bridges and span the divides. All ASC asks of others is to gather. Warm up. Work out. Hang out. Sweat. Bond. Grow.
At the very least, in a country plagued by obesity, ASC participants will become more physically fit.  Who knows? With some luck, given the project’s emphasis on becoming fitness-minded, dependable and productive, we can build a stronger cord to families, jobs and communities.
It starts with uniting. It helps us ride out the storms. A wayward child, an addiction, illness, divorce, job loss or whatever. It helps create solutions where, before, there was conflict. Teamwork. It requires sacrifice of self.
This week, dive into a group determined to make a difference. One heart beat. It will make you proud and us better. Let’s give it a shot!

Pep Talk: "Not Afraid To Be Brave!"

The featured speaker walked confidently toward the podium, stepped upon a box to elevate her diminutive stature and began to share. The words flowed as the attentive crowd listened and learned. A first-grader. An LSU Tiger fan. A young lady with big dreams.
The remarks came at the Seeds of Hope gala in downtown Denver. The annual event  raises money to provide scholarships for Catholic school education. Poised and pretty, Noelle Carrington concluded with this zinger: “I’m not afraid to be brave and let my light shine.”
I wanted to jump from my chair and shout, “You go girl!”
A six-year-old’s words have been resonating inside the noggin’ of a simple dude from Missouri ever since. Especially in the wake of a nation in turmoil. The decision came down in Ferguson, Missouri. The debate is nationwide. It is marred by violence. It’s visible evidence that, as a nation, we have much work to do in achieving goals and overcoming challenges in areas concerning race, representation and responsibility. Division. To steal a sports term, describing a team in trouble, “Not on the same page.”
Where is it time for something different? Not just concerning race, representation and responsibility, but for whatever ails? Home? Work? Elsewhere?
Help me understand a few things. How does a community allow a police force to become so misrepresentative of its citizenry? Tragically, a young man’s life was terminated but what if, when the officer asked the deceased and friend to quit walking down the middle of the street, the answer was, “Sure officer.”
Would we be having a different conversation? And, what if, an 18-year-old and buddy had not put police on high alert after the irresponsible act of stealing cigars and other stuff from a nearby convenience store?
There’s plenty of room for improvement on each side of these divisive issues. There usually is whenever blame games are played. Opportunity is knocking for a powerful and productive force to “not be afraid to be brave and let its light shine.” 
Victory Productions is trying. The “A Stronger Cord” project is calling out the men of America. Let’s come together. Warm up. Work out. Hang out. Sweat. Bond. Grow. ASC challenges men to grow stronger body, mind and spirit. It encourages participants to become fitness-minded, dependable and productive dudes. ASC believes that type of spirit helps us build stronger cords with families, workforces and communities. It starts with the workout.
Things must change. Tensions must lessen. Exercise reduces tension, fosters teamwork and is a great equalizer. Men of all colors working together. It reminds me of successful sports teams. Brothers. Yoked. One Heart Beat. Over the years, this knucklehead has played, reported and coached on a few.
We need to heed Noelle’s words. A first-grader at St. Francis De Sales is the shining light. Where can we make a difference? Where are the Ferguson’s? This week, do not be afraid to be brave!

Pep Talk: "Travel Advisory"

“I have been deprived of peace and have forgotten what prosperity is.”
It was a cool November evening along Colorado’s Front Range when those words were muttered. They came from a reserved young man - early 20‘s - living at The Crossing, a facility run by the Denver Rescue Mission. Heartfelt words. Delivered to an aging ol’ jock, in a dimly-lit area near where, in a few minutes, a bunch of knuckleheads, from all walks of life, would workout together. A Stronger Cord. It starts the workout. Sweating, bonding and challenging one another to grow stronger body, mind and spirt.
A tender soul was sharing from deep within. I was blessed to be witnessing it. Can you imagine, being deprived of peace and to have forgotten what prosperity is? Sure you can. Stuff. It happens. Rocks our world. The depravation of peace might arrive via illness, divorce, poor choices or whatever else ails us. Life. A roller coaster.
Anyway, hours later, I awoke early the next morning thinking of this dude’s words and remembered, “I’ve got laundry in the dryer.”
So it’s about 2:30am on a Friday. Sleepily shuffling from bedroom to laundry area on the second floor of our home, the trek takes this simple dude from Missouri right past pictures of the kids. One of them taken long ago. It’s a family shot. A single father and his two wonderful children. The kids are now 24 and 17 respectively. This photograph has to be at least a decade old.
I walk past it all the time. But it was different this time. I looked at me. Flanked by a son and daughter. The words, “I have been deprived of peace and have forgotten was prosperity is” seemed to be etched on my face. A quick check of the facts at the time a friend and talented photographer shot the portrait: recently divorced for the second time, long-held and cherished Denver television sports position as the “Buff Guy” eliminated. Self esteem lower than whale dung. A terrible trio.
I’m smiling in the picture but trust me folks, inside? I was deprived of peace and was struggling to remember what prosperity is. We all have been there and, in all likelihood, will continue to have moments threatening to take us there. Isolated in misery. Solitary confinement of the mind. It sucks.
What to do about it? We can’t buy into the lie that we’re alone in suffering. There’s many folks experiencing similar crap. Go find them. Engage. Rally around each other. Encourage. Give hope and confidence to one another. Set sail on a new journey.
Travel advisory: Don’t make the trek solo. These days it seems many disdain group travel. Not for this voyage. Be ready, willing and able to hunker down in a cabin with others. It might be bumpy. Deck chairs may fly. But once the storms pass, the sun will come out. Rough seas shall calm. Peace and prosperity can return!