Fatherly Wisdom From the Basketball Court

What pearls of paternal wisdom did your Pop impart to you? My dad is the strong silent type, so lengthy discussions and heart-to-hearts were few and far between when I was growing up.

In fact, the only time I ever remember Dad directly giving me advice was when I was seven years old playing basketball at the park. Four-foot-tall at the time, I couldn’t get the ball into the net, so I started to blame everything—the goal was crooked, the ball was flat, the sun was in my eyes.

My dad stopped dribbling long enough to say, “Never blame the equipment,” then bounced the ball to me and waited for me to take my shot. If this was a movie what happened next would have been basketball’s most beautiful three-point-shot. But because I’m a journalist 20 years later and not a WNBA basketball star you can probably guess how things worked out.

Even though Dad probably thought he was just giving me shooting advice that day in the park, it’s a lesson I’ve carried with me throughout life. When things are tough at work or at home, you can chose to blame others or take personal responsibility. Sometimes you’ll shoot a brick, but often you end up making a change for the better.

What’s the best advice your dad ever gave you? Tell us in the comments.