Today is Friday, so this post is on interpersonal competence. (Actually, it’s Saturday. I was traveling all day yesterday and didn’t get to post. Sorry about that.)
It is also a follow up to a post I did on Clint Hurdle, Manager of the Colorado Rockies who, unfortunately (from my perspective at least) lost the World Series four games to none to the Boston Red Sox last Sunday.
One the great things about blogging is that you get to meet nice people that you never would have met without the blog. This was the case with Erin Martin. Erin read a post I did on Clint Hurdle, that praised him for giving of himself with no expectation of return – a sign of an interpersonally competent person.
After she read my post, she send me this e mail…
Hello,
I just came across your web blog on: Clint Hurdle: World Series Manager, an Interpersonally Competent Guy
That was a lovely read. My family and I have known him for 25 years or so. He has gone through so many ups and downs and it is wonderful to find someone who looks at his beautiful spirit and writes about that instead of the usual negativity.
If you know him at all or ever bump into him, please send warm regards from the Forrest family.
Keep writing!
With kind regards,
Erin (Forrest) Martin
First of all, I appreciated Erin taking the time to read my blog and then sending me an e mail follow up. So, I responded to her e mail, thanking her for her thoughtfulness. She responded with this e mail.
Hello Bud,
Thank you for your email. Yes, Clint’s story is a great one and I hope more people can see it. He has stayed true to the love of his life (baseball) even when many others would have walked away. The man is a great example for us all with his humility and big heart. My family and I were lucky to get to know him well all because of a little 5 year old girl named Molly (my little sister). We used to have season tickets 3 rows up from 3rd base where he played then. Molly used to shout to him EVERY single catch he made: "Well done Clint!" One day, he walked over during seventh inning stretch and told us how much he loved and appreciated it. Later it was revealed that that was one of his lowest periods of times, and my little sister gave him that extra boost he needed to keep going. That was the start of him coming over to spend time with us 3 girls playing catch (or "Drop" as he teasingly called it) in our yard, taking us out movies and to play putt-putt golf. He had no reason to spend his free time with us, but somehow he did and quite often.
I am now a ballet instructor and coach myself (in Boston of all places! Don’t worry, I’ve never been a Sox fan!). Looking back, I can see that Clint always had the qualities in him to be a great coach. Good coaching is not just about the sport or activity. It extends well beyond that. Hopefully the press will recognize that side of him a bit more…
Well, get your rally cap on! That’s what Clint used to say back in the 80’s on the Tidewater Tides!
Take care,
Erin
Go ROCKIES!!!
I love this e mail. It shows not only that Clint Hurdle gets it about how to treat others, it shows how a simple act of kindness from a five year old girl named Molly really helped someone who seemingly had it all through a rough period.
And that’s the common sense point today. Random acts of selfless kindness identify you as an interpersonally competent person. They also can have a deep and lasting positive impact on others.
Like the bumper sticker says, “Practice random acts of kindness.” Clint Hurdle, Molly and Erin do. You’ll be glad you did.
At the Rockies celebration on Saturday, Clint showed his humility and sense of humor. He said to the crowd, “We could not be more humbled by the fact that a ballclub has been able to bring so much joy to so many people on so many different levels. Thank you to so many of you for the unconditional love. Thank you to so many of you for the conditional love that we picked up this season.”
Also, as it turns out, Erin and her husband are professional photographers. You can check out their website at www.emanyphotography.com. Being the good sport she is, Erin even has some photos of the Red Sox championship parade. They’re in the “People” category.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense. Check out my other blog: www.CommonSenseGuy.com for common sense advice on leading people and running a small business.
I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Bud
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