What a HOT summer!
Don’t know about everyone else out there, but southern California is friggin’ hot these days! I guess it could be worse considering my son is in Texas where blazing hot weather is the norm … coupled with humidity that can be cut with a knife and daily thunderstorms, it can certainly be much, much, worse … LOL.
On a different note, I am still getting a lot of emails about returning to the sport of professional bodybuilding. Although I do miss the art of transforming my flesh into chiseled granite, I definitely don’t miss all of the bullshit. I have many friends who still compete and are still caught up in the political turmoil that continues to plague the sport. When the competitive bug bites hard, all it takes to dissuade me is to log into Bodybuidling.com’s contest coverage and check out the latest contests news and pictures. I guess to the average eye, the physiques all look the same. However, there are always a few bodybuilders who get overlooked. At the end of the day, its still about who’s with whom and the almighty dollar. I can certainly sympathize with all those who are not given a fair shake … I have been there. I just don’t see how “the powers that be” expect competitors to try their absolute best when they are judging by a completely different set of rules. Just let the best physiques place … how hard is that? But then again, some people compete just for the sport of it. I walked away because competing was no longer fun. I had great sponsors that took care of my expenses, but I just wasn’t having fun. To each his own, but I don’t see how anyone would want to compete when all it does is eat away at their finances. Isn’t the whole point of turning professional to make a living at what you are doing? Oh well … if it doesn’t dawn on them today, it certainly will dawn on them at some point. The sad thing is that many of them have families to support. For those of you who can relate to this last paragraph, let me leave you with a simple thought. If competing robs you of your finances instead of building it … and if competing robs of you of your health instead of nourishing it … then, is it really worth it at the end of the day? It doesn’t matter how many championships you win or how many Sandows you attain, you are only as good and as remembered as your last victory. One life to live, and an extremely limited time to fulfill a legacy for those who matter most … your family.
How the heck did I start with the weather and end up on life? Sorry folks, I went off on a tangent there. I guess spending time with some of my closest friends who still compete, and listening to them vent about their frustrations has made me really thankful that I walked away from the IFBB with my life intact. I don’t want to be remembered by my accomplishments on stage. I want to be remembered as a good person who helped others become good people. Now that’s a legacy worth striving for.
Paul says:
Hello Eryk,
You are right on so many levels - you must ‘follow your bliss’, as Joseph Campbell said, if you are to lead an honest and fulfilling life. You gave the public years of physical beauty and your industry an honest competitor and for this we thank you. I am sure your family and those lucky enough to share your personal life support your decision about competing. It is a shame that your passion ended with bittersweet memories. So much in our world seems to be corrupted these days… I often wonder if the world was ever thus and if it will ever really change.
When I think of how ‘wrong’ so many things are, I know there is only one place to find peace: inside; in my own self. I think this is what you have found and it is a strength surpassing any other. Now you are sharing this knowledge with those around you… as a good man doing good for others. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
July 26th, 2010 at 10:39 am