First off, I am in no way implying that I really could be Manu Ginobili, the professional basketball player. I wish I could have achieved so many lofty and nearly impossible summits as he has, all the while never compromising who I am. What I'm implying is that within the context of life (and really, marriage) I (and most likely all married men) am Manu Ginobili.
Last night as I was screaming at the TV (I'm sure I was the only one, right?) to have Manu immediately traded, benched, or thrown into the deepest waters of South Beach, I hadn't quite seen the correlation yet. I was caught up in the moment. I was imagining what all he used to do while and at the same time seeing none of that once in a lifetime brilliance that he once displayed on the court (a la Game 5). I was a greedy fan, and not much more. It wasn't until I saw a screen shot of Ginobili's post game press conference on Twitter (I didn't have the stomach to actually watch any post game coverage) that I realized what a selfish fan I was. What I saw in that screenshot was a dejected, beaten up, hurting man. A guy who had let himself and his entire team (his family) down yet again.
That's when it dawned on me, I'm Manu Ginobili. I do my best to do whatever I can do help out my family, I have flashes of brilliance that allow my wife (and again I'm speaking for pretty much all married men, I hope) to recall the stud she once married. But like all people, I have my faults. And it seems that the more comfortable we get with someone, the easier it is to notice and point out those faults as a point a frustration, rather than just an extension of who we've (and our spouse as well) always been, and who we fell in love with years ago.
How often have we felt the way Ginobili looked last night? How often have we made our spouses feel that way? Manu Ginobili may never have the consistency that he had a few years ago, but you never have to worry about his heart. You know that what he does each and every day is for the best of the team (family). This is perfectly displayed in his acceptance of coming off the bench each and every night without complaint...removing his desire to shine as a starting player for the better of the team. As a husband, I can't think of a better example of what athlete to emulate than him, always putting his family first.
That being said, it would be nice to see one more flash of brilliance tomorrow night, right?
