The Mindset of a Champion

If you’ve been reading this blog lately, you know that I’ve been posting fewer links and concentrated on commentary. I’ve been inspired by a young man from rural Missouri named Byron Crawford (no homo). He’s the inventor of what’s called “The Mindset of a Champion” which is basically a nice way of saying that you shouldn’t give a fuck about what anybody else says, thinks or writes about you. Local blog Death’s Door has had this kind of attitude for years and the power of his writing proves it. I’m starting late but I’m a quick study. This blog will always be about Kansas City but I’ve discovered that you don’t need a lot of links to know what’s going on in this city. You just need a place where you can say whatever is on your mind without any pressure from advertisers, editors or publishers. Ultimately, this is the strong point of blogs and the only thing that makes them worthwhile. In this domain, I am responsible only to the joke or the point I’m making. I love comments but I could give a shit about political correctness, your feelings, my own sense of decency or the Queen’s English.

The Mindset of a Champion means that you will not be fucked with . . . you will do the fucking. Crawford says that “It’s like the force, only it’s real.”

There are real world applications of this attitude but they’re pretty ugly. Currently, a young man from KCK is on an epic and seemingly painful quest to prove that bullets can’t kill him. The guy has been shot more times than Geronimo but he refuses to go down for the dirt nap. Today, the guy was in court for a murder rap and was shot shortly after the hearing ended in a mistrial. His track record preceding today’s latest volley of bullets thrown his way is awe-inspiring and worthy of note:

In May 2004, Mitchell was shot and seriously wounded. He recovered, but the case was never solved. Eight months later, Mitchell was charged in the Watson shooting. He posted bond and was released. Several days later, Mitchell was shot and wounded again when someone fired an automatic weapon into his car.

Truly, this guy is a champion and should be lauded as a fine example of the persistence and perseverance of local youth. Not only is the guy relentlessly pursuing his own goals but he’s single-handedly making sure that your blood donations don’t go to waste. I’d offer to shake the guy’s hand and wish him well but I’m afraid that getting close to him would mean being grazed by a bullet. Instead, I’ll take this opportunity to wish him the best, encourage him to invest in Kevlar clothing and hope that his enemies don’t starting using weapons of a greater caliber.