So even if you don't follow major league baseball, and unless you've been hiding under a rock the last couple of weeks, most of you will know that Alex Rodriguez, arguably the most gifted ball player on the planet, admitted to taking illegal steroids, or performance enhancing drugs (
PEDs), from 2001-2003. Rodriguez, or A-Rod for short (now A-'
Roid?) has been under an intense amount of criticism for this revelation into his past. It's such a big deal, because he has always maintained that he never did anything like that, and the hope was that he was the "clean" superstar ballplayer that would save baseball from all of the negative publicity it's received over the last decade from high-profile players caught taking steroids. He is currently on pace to become the all-time home run king, and everybody was hoping that the positive press that baseball would get from that would put to rest all of the steroid
scandals. However, all A-Rod has done is exacerbate it to an even greater level.
I have to admit that I'm
conflicted about the whole situation. I have a problem with his taking the steroids for a couple of reasons:
-Taking prescription drugs without a prescription is against the law
-In some cases, it sounds like either he, or someone he knew, illegally transported these drugs into the U.S. from another country
-It's cheating
You'll hear ballplayers defend themselves with things like "A lot of players did it" to which I would say "Didn't your mother ever tell you the analogy about following the crowd if they were jumping off a bridge?".
Other players will say "It wasn't specifically against the rules of major league baseball", which is true, but stealing and murder aren't
specifically against major baseball rules either, but that, as well as taking prescription drugs without a prescription, are against the LAW.
Now on the other hand, and contrary to the "holier than thou" reporters and fans making comments left and right about A-Rod's character, I really don't feel the need to hear all of the specific details about his steroid use. I don't feel I have the right to hear a full confessional, as many people feel. He admitted to taking them, that's all I need to hear. It's almost embarrassing to me to hear the reporters and commentators admonish A-Rod, as if every one of them lives the utmost highest standards of personal character and integrity.
puh-lease.I think that A-Rod simply fell victim to what many, many people have a problem with: they want accolades and recognition from the world. His excuse for taking the steroids was that he felt the pressure be the best ballplayer that he could, that he wanted people to continue to think of him as one of the best players in the world and he thought the drugs would help him do this. To me, wanting the adoration of the world, and doing things that compromise your personal integrity, without regard for the impact on your character, is the greatest travesty of the whole issue. Dishonesty, whether in your public life or your private life, tell a lot about
someone's character. I'm not trying to pass judgement on A-Rod, but when things like this happen, it makes me take a step back to look at myself to see if I am living my life for the recognition of those around me or if I'm really trying to be the best person I can be, if my character is where it needs to be.
I really can't imagine wanting to be defined by what your job is or doing things for the worldly glory. Just like the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man had his reward during his life on earth, and paid for it in the eternities.
I guess the thing that is probably most distressing is that time and time again, we find so many examples of dishonesty in the world, for personal material gain, whether it be money or power. I wish that more people would be more honest, if not only for themselves and their own personal character, but for the examples that they set for the people that look up to them in their lives. And in A-Rod's case, I'm not talking about me or my kids or the fans of baseball that admire his baseball playing ability. I learned long ago that you don't look to
athletes, or other public figures and
celebrities, to be "heroes" or people that you really look up to. If you do this, then much, much more often than not, you're going to be disappointed.
I'm instead talking about the individuals in the personal lives of these people - their spouses, brothers, sisters,
children - who rely on them to be examples. A-Rod has 2 young daughters, how terrible that they'll now grow up knowing that their father cheated and lied his way into making hundreds of millions of dollars. Even more distressing to me is the potential choices that they will make in their own lives, as a result of seeing his example.
Personal integrity seems to be a path that fewer and fewer people take in life. This brings to my mind the Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken", the last 3 lines of which are:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Once in a while, you wish that public figures would take the road "less traveled", and increasingly, being honest seems to be one of those roads. There aren't many worse travesties in life that I can think of than being dishonest with yourself and those closest to you. And having to live forever with the consequences of those choices.
To my children, I'll leave you with one last tried and true cliche - "honesty is the best policy". No matter the situation, no matter what you've done in the past, there is no
substitute for being completely honest going forward. The short-term pain or
embarrassment that you may feel by telling the truth about a certain situation is nothing compared to the long-term guilt that you'll feel on your conscience and the destruction of your character if you choose another way.
