Marshall Ramsey

The Election

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Marshall Ramsey

His icy blue eyes burned with the passion of a true believer as he stood on the old house’s front porch. Knock. Knock. Knock. His knuckles burned as he rapped on the brown oak door. Nothing. He knocked again. The volunteer heard footsteps as he patiently waited with a handful of pamphlets. Warm sun burned the back of his neck as a trickle of sweat rolled down his spine.

The door opened slowly, revealing an older man with thin, wispy hair and a glass eye. The volunteer tried to guess his age; He probably was 90.

“Can I help you, son?” The older man looked at the volunteer ‘s eyes and could tell he had the passion of a true-believer.

“I’d like to tell you a little why you should vote for…” the volunteer mentioned the name of a candidate for a local election.

The old man smiled slightly. He knew both candidates personally. He knew their strengths. He knew their weaknesses. The devil on his shoulder wanted to slam the door on the volunteer. But it was the South. Proper training and manners wouldn’t allow him to do something so crass. So he listened.

“My candidate’s opponent is…” the volunteer went on to slam the man with a barrage of code words and talking points. The old man smiled and listened patiently. The volunteer finished up with, “And that’s why you should vote for my candidate.” He awkwardly handed the pamphlet to the older man. The older man gazed at the full-color picture of the candidate in front of an American flag.

The old man didn’t say anything to the volunteer as he turned and started onto to the next house.

Then he spoke.

“Son, I mean no disrespect to you because you could be my grandson. I’m just giving you a little fatherly advice. I fought in World War 2 70 years ago against a man who led his nation with the kind of fear and platitudes you just spewed at me. I lost friends, my left eye and my ability to sleep without nightmares. So when I came home. I was darned determined to do something positive with my life. Me and my friends build this world you live in and it has come to this. Now I applaud you for having the civic pride to get up and support your candidate. But if all your candidate stands for is fear, I’m not buying. Fear is political crack: Addictive, seductive and nearly impossible to give up. I’ve had enough of it in my lifetime. America is better than that. And so is your candidate.”

And with that, he closed the door and the red-faced volunteer went on to share his message at the next house.

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MRBA Free-For-All

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Marshall Ramsey

I’d say to stay dry, but I’m not sure it is totally possible. Here’s a photo from Saturday when it wasn’t raining like mad.

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MRBA Free-For-All

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Marshall Ramsey

Hope you’ve dried out. It was quite wet around these parts on Sunday.

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My secret weapon

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Marshall Ramsey

The sheets were warm and the pillow was cool. Pip the dog gently snored as she pressed up against me. I opened my left eye and saw that my alarm clock was one minute from blaring. I was so tired I turned it off and prepared to sleep one more precious hour.

And then my secret weapon began to speak.

Do you want to weigh 248 lbs. again? Did you enjoy having a 41-inch waist? Did you like being tired all the time? Do you want to lose your fitness?

In response, my sheets tightened their grip and I drifted back to sleep. Vivid dreams began to play in my mind’s theater.

Then I heard the voice again, “You have about 50 minutes. You can do this. You can fit in a four-mile run.”

My left eye looked at the clock again. My right eye joined it.

I swung my feet around and touched the floor. Pip adjusted and took over my spot. I laced up my shoes and ran 4.3 miles.

Victory begins by beginning.

And I began all because my secret weapon — that voice that helped me get moving when I just wanted to sleep. That voice was a habit. One that I have formed over many weeks of exercising before six a.m. It helped make a tough but good choice easier.

Good habits are my secret weapon. And they are changing my life one choice at a time.

To find out more about habits, their power and how to develop them, read The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business by Charles Duhigg.

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The wisdom of a son

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Marshall Ramsey

Nearly 14 years ago, he came into this world. I figured If I survived y2K, I could survive a baby boy.

I was wrong. I had no idea how to raise a child.

I am the youngest child and never really had been around a baby. And adding insult to my ignorance, I was older and pretty self-centered. My son cured all that. Except the older part. In fact, I think he aged me.

I wasn’t a good father at the time. But I was the best father I knew how to be. My oldest son was our education. He was the child my wife and I learned on.

He has grown up to be an amazing young man.

I hugged him this morning. He’s nearly as tall as me and in some ways he has already physically surpassed me. He’s wearing a size 14 running shoe. I wear a size 13. He’s handsome — he looks like his mother but you can tell he’s my boy and is wickedly intelligent. He’s on the MathCounts team and is taking Geometry in 8th grade. He’s focused and organized. And very polite. He gets straight A’s and is involved in the community.

His mother did a fine job raising him!

I once took him with me to a speech on the Coast. He had (once again) gotten straight A’s and I rewarded him for his effort. We walked into the nearly deserted casino (this was during the oil spill) and he looked around at the handful of people smoking, playing slots and huffing on oxygen (not a safe combination). He then said, “Dad, this place smells like cigarettes and despair.”

He was 10. That was the most profound thing I had ever heard.

Last fall, we were driving through the Delta and he saw the tree line in front of us on the horizon. “You never really catch the trees, do you, dad?” What a brilliant description of the vast distance figuratively and literally ahead of us.

But he made me love him on a different level last Friday night. I took him to the PLS Fit4Change bootcamp after party. He watched as other athletes got awards. When it was over he said, “You don’t need a piece of paper to prove you are a Bad-A, dad (he doesn’t cuss –but said that just like that). I’ve seen you get back up when you’re knocked down.”

I looked at my son and admired his wisdom. He’s nearly 14 but has a much older soul.

And at that moment, my old heart burst with pride.

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The Most Dangerous Zone in the World

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Marshall Ramsey

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MRBA Free-For-All

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Marshall Ramsey

March is going out like a lamb — and I like lamb chops. So enjoy the day and let’s look forward to another great month.

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Sparky

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Marshall Ramsey

His names is Thomas Reardon but I doubt anyone knows him by that name. He’s like Madonna and Oprah — his legend has outgrown the need for two names. He’s simply known as Sparky and he’s the Dean of Students of Ole Miss. But not for long. After nearly 37 years, he’s retiring.

As the video at last night’s retirement gala said, it’s the end of the Sparky Era.

If you went to Ole Miss or had a child who went there, you know Sparky. Sometimes because someone was in trouble. But most of the time it was because of his guidance. I’ve joked that Sparky is the only person who has 5,000 Facebook friends and actually knows them all. You can’t walk on the Square without someone stopping to talk to him. Usually it is someone wanting to say hello. But frequently it is someone seeking his advice. Director/Producer Tate Taylor told me the story how Sparky encouraged him to leave Corporate America and pursue a career in the entertainment business. I’m sure you could fill Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with people who have similar stories. I know I’ve appreciated his insight into my own career. Sparky’s a smart guy who knows a thing or two about institutional leadership. Just hearing him tell stories is worth your time.

Sparky gave a fantastic speech talking about the highlights and heartbreaks of his career. He outlasted numerous Chancellors, football coaches, U.S. Presidents and Popes. And there were the special students who he guided to promising careers after college. Then he talked about the heartbreaks. The sadness of losing a favorite student who died tragically after a freak accident. And the absolute tragedy of the 1987 accident that took the lives of five Chi Omega sorority sisters. There were several peaks and valleys in his time at Ole Miss. At the end, the crowd was on their feet. And why not? Sparky deserves a standing ovation.

It was like the end of It’s A Wonderful Life. In his speech, he quoted George Bailey’s guardian angel Clarence Oddbody’s famous line, “No man is a failure who has friends.” But I also think about Clarence’s other quote, “”Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”

Thankfully Sparky will still be around. But life after the Sparky Era won’t be the same.

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The Spring Oak

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Marshall Ramsey

This is one of my favorite trees in Mississippi. I’ve taken dozens of photos of it — each one different in mood and feel. Loved this one today. The wildflowers made for a special photo. I put my iPhone on the ground and shot upward toward the tree. This is the result.