Stories must be told or they die. Legends don’t die, but they also don’t tell their own story; this is the story of the legend that is… Aspen Kelley (also known as “God’s AK”, also known as “The Noble One”, also known as “thank you SOOOOO much”, also known as “WHERE’S MY SHOE?!”, also known as “98”, also known as “do you have your water bottle?” also known as “do you have your wallet?” also known as “do you have your phone?”)
“I DID IT!” Aspen shouted through the house with pride and enthusiasm, as if announcing some large scientific breakthrough.
It was the day after our fishing trip and the boys were preparing dinner. Aspen, in her childlike innocence and intrigue, asked if she could help by cleaning the fish. Dylan gave her a quick lesson on the good, the bad, and the ugly of fish gutting, then handed Aspen a fish and a knife.
Aspen is a strong, competent young woman with a lot of heart and ambition; some would say she is more impressive than most six year olds and even a few seven year olds. She really is a tremendous try-er. Out of respect for herself and no one else, she magnificently took all of the knowledge Dylan had just imparted on her, balled it up, and threw it in the trash as she gripped the knife like a low-budget 90’s horror movie and proceeded to desecrate the fish. If ever there was a good try, this was it!
The true mark of maturity is the ability to receive correction and feedback in stride and continue down the path of righteousness. This, my friends, was not that. This was self-determination and a bad attitude for anything standing in the way.
Dylan stepped in to offer an alternative method to preparing the fish, but with confidence, poise, and just the right amount of die-hard, Aspen plainly and simply responded with “GET OFF ME! I GOT THIS! THERE’S A REASON I DIDN’T GET YOU ANY TRUST FOR CHRISTMAS!”
Being the strong supportive man that he is, Dylan encouraged Aspen with “I know you can do it, Team Leader, I believe in you!” and stepped back to his place near the garbage can where he had been instructed to wait. John, meanwhile, wouldn’t dare interrupt Aspen in such a focused, determined, hate-fire rage, so he never left his place on the other side of the garbage can, where he had been instructed to wait because he didn’t fit inside it.
As the boys obediently waited in angst, they listened to the sound of cartoon-like gnawing, the distant hum of chainsaws, and glass being shattered; they watched meat, bones, and broken knives being thrown about the kitchen; they stood in awe of the greatest try-er at work. And then, it happened.
“I DID IT!” Slowly, Aspen put her knife down and holding something in her hand, turned to face the boys. Was it a perfectly sliced filet? Of course not. Was it anything remotely usable for dinner? Absolutely not. Was it anything she set out to do, was instructed to do, or could possibly use for anything? No, no, and probably not. Was it an opportunity to demonstrate her own glory, hubris, vanity? Abso-freaking-lutely.
As Aspen completed her turn, she revealed the eye of the fish! The boys were delivered from their angst as they saw the fish would be salvageable, though generally unattractive, looking like the victim of an unfortunate accident.
“Aspen, if you eat that right now, I’ll write a blog about you titled The Legend that is Aspen Kelley,” John offered, seeing the gears start spinning.
“You’ll really write it?” Aspen questioned. Having recently been tricked and pressured into eating a cooked fish eye in front of a dinner host by the boys, she responded hesitantly as she imagined how much worse an uncooked fish eye would be.
“Yeah, absolutely” was the answer John would have provided, given enough time to respond, but much to his dismay, “ye…” was all he could get out before Aspen so boldly put her own pride above all and swallowed the fish eye, and the Legend that is Aspen Kelley was born.
True leaders lead by example; they set the tone, community, and culture for relationships within the team, other teams, and those we encounter every day. That day, the boys learned a crucial lesson – that the TL comes first and is still the hardest.
The End.
