Stupid Man

Stupid, stupid, stupid man.

You had the world. You had a 7100-square-foot mansion, a guaranteed $40 million in your bank account. Fame and adoration were yours for the taking so long as you did what came natural to you on the playing field. You had an organization that backed you, that had faith in you, that wanted you to succeed, that wanted to propel you into the limelight. You had legions of fans, legions of young kids who looked up to you and wanted to be like you. You had sponsors salivating, waiting to throw even more money your way if you would only but wear their logo.

You were set for life.

But you are a stupid man.

You are a fool.

You are an idiot, for you threw it all away.

Threw it all away.

The dead body of one of your acquaintances is discovered a half mile from your mansion. You refuse to hand over your cell phone to the police, and when you do, it is in shattered pieces. You wipe clean the video of your home surveillance system. You have your home professionally cleaned. All in the brief couple of days since the body was found. If you are innocent, you have a foolish and suicidal tendency to exude and magnify guilty behavior.

You gave it all up, gave up a successful life (by the standards of the world, that is). Perhaps now, in prison for life if you are convicted of murder, tattoos all up and down your body, perhaps now you can discard that faux bad attitude and understand what it takes to become a real man.

The choice will be yours, and you will have years to act – or not act – upon it.

Stupid, foolish man.