Special Edition: Because There Is No Fool Like An Ol' Fool

It's rare to find a someone who is liked by his enemies.

Someone who helps all and never lets anything get him down,

even if that thing is about to take his life.

I had the honor of knowing a man like this for 9 short years 

and he taught me lessons that I still carry with me today.

I'd like to introduce you to this man...

He was a coach, an athlete, a teacher, a son, a brother, a husband, an uncle, 

a best friend and a father.

Today is his birthday and I wanted to honor him by sharing some of his life lessons.

He may not have had all of the answers, especially when it came to Relation-Shits,

 but damn did he make some good points...

Cheers-

Lesson #1:

"If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life." -P.S.

Why waste your time working a job you hate?

Life is too short to spend it doing something that makes you miserable. 

Find something you love, that makes you wake up in the morning not hating life.

That is the dream job.

He found this in teaching, which as you know is not the biggest money maker

 but that didn't stop him from working after the bell rang.

He put his all into teaching each student life lessons, 

not just what was in the text or how to win a basketball game. 

Make the most out of your job and don't stop where your job description ends.

Make it your own and you'll never work a day in your life.

Lesson #2:

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out" -John Wooden

 John Wooden was his hero on and off the court, 

so it is no wonder he applied his lessons to his life as well. 

He taught everyone around him that it does not matter what happens to you, 

what matters is how you react to it.

And no one knew how to turn a shitty situation into a positive one more than this man.

He battled colon cancer and would constantly say-

"What am I going to do? Sit around and cry about it?"

Lesson #3:

“The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” 

- John Wooden

Now, I don't have many long lasting relationships to look up to in my life, 

but one that would have lasted forever was the one he had with the love of his life.

Never have I heard such stories of love for ones significant other or children.

It is rare to find a man who enjoys staying home with the children, 
taking them for bike rides, dancing like a fool in the living room with them or 
teaching them how to play any and every sport.

He just genuinely loved being a dad and 
he showed his children that you can be a great dad and a great husband.

One does not have to be sacrificed.

Now, you may be wondering,

"Who the hell is this guy?! He sounds super amazing! 
I would totally want to be BFF's with him!"

Well, this man I am speaking of is Paul Sutton, 

my dad and one of the biggest inspirations in my life.

I strive everyday to make him proud and not completely embarrass the Sutton name...

but if you know me, you know I can be pretty embarrassing.

Now that you know I am related to this great man, 

you must be thinking this is all bias...

 No.

A wonderful writer from the LA Times named Mike Bresnahan 
wrote numerous articles about my dad in the 90's. 
One article said he was  
"known less for his record as boys' basketball coach than for teaching life lessons 
to [his] students in his 14 years at the school." 

(Back in the day...even at 5'10 he ruled the court)

 One of his best friends Dan the Man said-  
"He just won with the talent he had. He did it the way it was supposed to be done--
the right way, for the right reasons. He didn't do it for the headlines. 
He did it for the players."

And even a rival basketball coach could not find fault -

"He was a masterful coach...He was good to the young coaches...

veteran coaches were inspired by the fact that they had to do everything they could to beat him. He was so innovative, we all used him as a resource. 

And there really wasn't an ego." 

When he ran out of sick days, 
teachers and coaches practically lined up to donate their sick days to him.

"Sutton needs to be remembered as a coach who won 166 games and three league titles, and for realizing that what happened off the court was infinitely more important."

And it showed, with a 700-person reception after his funeral, 
you knew he made an impact on people's lives. 
Not just as a teacher, but as a friend and a mentor.

So honor those teachers and individuals who go beyond their job
and show you that we don't always live in a nine to five world.

Appreciate those around you and let them know you would do anything for them.
Don't let competition deteriorate a friendship and always be a gracious loser,
even when it pains you to shake the hand of a winner.

Always look on the bright side of things no matter how much life sucks,
and never shy away from being an ol' fool. 
Life is too short to hide your crazy self.

Happy 55th Birthday ya ol' fool.
Cheers to you and good old Van the Man!

Van Morrison (aka Van the Man)- "Brown Eyed Girl"