Tags
Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, bullying, heroes, ice hockey, Philadelphia Flyers, Ric Flair, sports, wrestling
‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair
We all have heroes, especially as children and even as adults. Throughout my pre-teens and teens, my main hero was Philadelphia Flyers hockey legend Rick MacLeish. The first player on the Flyers to score 50 goals in a season. A few years later, I had another hero when I was in the service. Being stationed in North Carolina, I got to watch a lot of wrestling, it seemed really big there. The one wrestler who became my hero was the guy in the photo above, Ric Flair. No, I don’t have any fascination with people named Rick, that is just a coincidence.
Although I didn’t see the match, I rejoiced when I learned that he became the champion of the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) in September 1981. His first reign as champion would last for 21 months before he lost it to Harley Race. About a week after, I got to see him wrestle live when he teamed up with Rowdy Roddy Piper against Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine and Dick Slater. Flair and Piper won the match. I got to see him defend his title two years later against Magnum TA in a match which ended in a one hour draw. Then in 1991, it was a dream come true when he came to the WWE and won the title after winning the Royal Rumble in 1992. Throughout the years, I have been a huge fan of the Nature Boy, cheering when he won and commiserating when he lost. Yes, I know it’s all fixed but that doesn’t stop me enjoying the action.
Ric Flair applying his famous figure-four leglock
Why is Ric Flair my hero? Actually, the title of the post answers that question. He’s everything I wasn’t, at least I thought so at the time. Ric exuded extreme confidence whenever you saw him, I was a shy introvert as a result of bullying as a boy and my Asperger’s Syndrome. How I wished I could have been like Ric. He’s also a great wrestler, he won the NWA title at least ten times and the WWF at least twice and definitely could hold his own. I couldn’t do that, at least I thought that about myself.
On the other hand, in my older years, I realize that I don’t have any of Ric’s not so positive points. For one, Ric’s confidence often spills over into arrogance. While I am a much more confident person now, I can say that I am not arrogant. Additionally, most of the time, Ric was considered a heel who would use every trick, often dirty, in the book to win a match. I have a fanatical sense of fair play. A few years back, Ric was hospitalized as it was discovered that he had a hidden drinking problem. While many concerned friends and relatives thought I was going down that road when I left the service, I turned off it and while I like a drink, I rarely drink to excess. Therefore, not having these qualities is a good thing.
I guess the conclusion here is that while it’s nice to have heroes, we must remember that these heroes are human beings as well. Capable of making mistakes and having non-positive qualities as well as positive ones. While, it’s always a good idea to follow any positive example they set, we must see it in perspective. Don’t try to be like them, be the person you are because in the long run, you will be much happier.
Final thought: Many wrestlers are getting behind the anti-bullying campaign and that is a wonderful thing. I wonder what Ricls feelings on it are.
To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1669840965&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1
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