No no no, my friends don't call me O.J., but it is the closing line of a rather inspirational story I related during a speech I gave in high school. I don't remember exactly how the story went since some 19 1/2 years have passed. Fortunately, a little Google searching turned it up at The Believer:
In 1957 a ten-year old boy in California set a goal. At the time Jim Brown was the greatest running back ever to play pro football and this tall, skinny boy wanted his autograph. In order to accomplish his goal the young boy had to overcome some obstacles.
He grew up in the ghetto, where he never got enough to eat. Malnutrition took its toll, and a disease called rickets forced him to wear steel splints to support his skinny, bowed-out legs. He had no money to buy a ticket to get into the game, so he waited patiently near the locker room until the game ended and Jim Brown left the field. He politely asked Brown for his autograph. As Brown signed, the boy explained, 'Mr. Brown,
I have your picture on my wall.
I know you hold all the records. You're my idol.'
Brown smiled and began to leave, but the young boy wasn't finished. He proclaimed, 'Mr. Brown, one day I'm going to break every record you hold!' Brown was impressed and asked, 'What is your name, son?'
The boy replied, 'Orenthal James. My friends call me O.J.'
Why do I bring it up? Read on!
I graduated from high school in 1986 as valedictorian. No mean feat there, I graduated with a class of 16, as I recall. Anyway, I had heard the story and thought it was a great story, so I paraphrased it and used it in my valedictory address about how we, the class of 1986, could accomplish anything, blah blah blah. Standard inspirational stuff. Huge ovation following the speech, someone asked me for a copy of it (which I said I would provide and don't think I ever did ... sorry Mrs Barnes!) Of course, I had no way of knowing at the time that O.J. would kill his ex-wife and her friend 8 years and 6 days later. I know, he was found not guilty. I'm still entitled to my opinion, and I think that he did it, and so (apparently) did the civil jury, later.
Anyway, why do I bring it up? I would like to take this opportunity, almost 20 years after graduation, to apologize to my senior class, the faculty and administration, and our guests for using such a despicable man as a motivational tool. It was a good story that sadly has not withstood the test of time.
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