Today I was fortunate to attend the Birmingham Area Boy Scout "American Values" luncheon.
The guest speaker was none other than Bo Jackson.
We had FABULOUS seats.
This is the view of Bo Jackson's table from my table. I know it's kinda blury, but directly across from the gentleman in the charcoal suit is Bo.
(and my boss's boss is here at my table, in the grey sweater and pearls)
Well this is a little better view. Bo Jackson is the bald guy in the light grey suit.
We were told "no photographs" so I was trying to sneak and get them on my phone.
It wasn't until I got this posted that I realized a guy at the table in front of us was taking them too.
When Bo got up to speak, he first called a Cub scout, who had been on stage earlier with his mother, back up to the stage. He met him at the edge of the stage, and spoke to him for nearly two full minutes.
Bo is cool like that.
Then the little boy left the stage and Bo came back to the podium.
"And don't none of you ask him what I said....it's a secret!"
The little boy, seated at a table across from us, smiled and nodded in agreement. Later news reports, confirmed that the boy kept their secret.
The next thing he did, was ask all the ladies in the audience to stand up. Even though it was a Boy Scout luncheon, there were quite a few ladies in the audience. When we all stood, he told the menfolk to "give us a hand" and "appreciate all the beautiful women" that had joined them.
'Cause Bo is cool like that too.
For the next 30 minutes or so, he spoke about how he was one of ten children. How he would have gone farther in the Boy Scouts if his family could have afforded it. How one of his favorite memories was a Boy Scout camp out in the park. How the Boy Scouts and sports had kept him out of trouble.
He joked often.
After being named "ESPN's Greatest Athlete of All Time" he said there was 8 inches of snow on the ground outside his Chicago home. His wife turned to him and said
"Oh Great One....that snow is not going to move itself."
He told of his children's accomplishments. All were at Auburn (of course). His sons firm in their majors, but his daughter was still on the fence. When asked what his daughter would be when she graduated, he responded
"About 35...."
He spoke about how his mother was his hero and his role model and that when he had finished his education, it was to fulfill a promise he had made to his mother.
So there he was. The GREATEST ATHLETE OF ALL TIME, but still every bit a Mama's boy.
And Bo was cool with that.
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