Siouxland Magazine - Volume 1 Issue 4

Siouxland Magazine | Converse /25
Resilience = Grit
By Tony Micheals
Were you ever cut from an athletic team in high
school? I sure was. A bunch. Baseball, basketball
and golf. When I finally found a sport sans the cutting
process, I excelled and gave it 100 percent. (Text me
at 712-274-1057 and I’ll tell you what sport actually
welcomed me onto the team.) I love the theme of this
issue, resilience. I do however, prefer the term “grit”
because it sounds like something out of a Western
movie.
Being rejected in other sports made me more
appreciative of opportunities. I worked at a horse track
in Omaha. Co-workers laughed at me when I told them
I wanted to get into radio. Their laughter fueled me. I
think of them when I put my headphones on in the
morning. Even 24 years into this career.
I’m lucky enough to share a studio every weekday
morning with “Can-do Candice” Nash. She says we are
all self-employed. YOU decide where to be employed.
Her work ethic and proving people wrong is a true
inspiration. She offered to work for FREE for two weeks
starting her career to prove she could do it. Believe me,
she can. I’m inspired to see others buck the odds and
reach their potential.
In fifth grade, Mrs. Swanson assigned us an essay to ask
our parents who inspires them. My mother mentioned
our neighbor Connie. She has physical limitations and
overcame challenges daily without complaining and she
excelled with a very busy and fulfilling lifestyle.
Witnessing these
examples of fortitude
helped me out 2
decades later when we
were blessed with my
son, Trey. He’s now 16,
non-verbal and happens
to be very involved with
his autism. It must be
so daunting to live in
a world comprised of
people so unlike you. He
communicates in his own
way. He acts differently
than his peers. We’ve
raised more than a few eyebrows while running errands in
Siouxland. Yet, he smiles through life more than others his
age who have far less obstacles. A lot of people who have
the gift of gab could learn a lot about being resilient from
Trey. That lil’ cowboy has a lot of grit.
Tony Michaels, KSUX morning show co-host /
Fan of grit
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