Just Show Up

Jim Rome and I have become good friends over the past 10 years.  Of course, I've never met the guy, but I've heard enough of his rants, takes, burns, and guest interviews over the years to feel a connection with him that I'm sure he only shares with a few million other people.  I appreciate his candor, his uncanny wittiness, his fresh takes on the world of sports and entertainment, and mostly his phenomenal preparation for and execution of interviews.  He really is a master at conducting thorough, thoughtful, insightful interviews with a great variety of guests, some at the top of their popularity and others who just have great stories that deserve to be told.  I'm actually not sure how I would make it through the hours I spend on the road without the company of The Jim Rome Show.  I've been a card-carrying Jungle Insider ("That's why there's Jungle Insider") for 8 years and I thank A.D. Davis, my sales partner with Lilly in Albuquerque back in 2002, for introducing me to the show.

This week, one of the guests was Jacob Tamme, a former Colts tight end from Lexington, KY who recently re-joined Peyton Manning in signing with the Denver Broncos.  Tamme has always been a good player, never a star, but a solid tight end who, like Austin Collie, Dallas Clark, and a host of others, has been the beneficiary of catching passes from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.  Rome asked him the requisite questions about football, his time with the Colts, what it's like to play with Peyton Manning, how the Broncos will fare this year, etc.  He then switched gears to ask Tamme about his recent visit to the hospital in Aurora, CO, where many of the victims of the recent movie theater shooting are being treated.  Jacob and a number of his teammates recently visited some of the victims and Jim asked him to relate this experience to the audience.  He shared some of the heroic stories he heard, told about a few of the courageous people he met, and talked about how inspirational it was for him to speak with people who had risked their lives to save others in the midst of the chaos that ensued that night.  Jim then asked him what, if any, message he shared with the victims and their families.  His response to this question was insightful and was a great truism.  It went something like, "In a situation like that, you don't really know what to say.  But sometimes, just showing up is what matters."  What a powerful lesson.  We don't always know what to say in times of tragedy or challenge, and words can seem trite and lacking.  I remember when President Pace, our great Stake President in Newbury Park, lost his wife at far too young an age.  I was sitting with him in a PPI not long after the funeral and in the middle of the discussion, he broke down in tears.  What do you say in a situation like that?  I knew that no words I could muster would lighten the burden he bore, so I just sat and listened to him share some of the things that had been on his mind in the few weeks since his wife's passing.  When he was done and we had wrapped up the interview, he hugged me and thanked me for listening and being supportive...and I really hadn't said anything.  I just showed up where I was supposed to be and that was enough.

So many of the best things in life are within our grasp if we just show up.  Some of the greatest views, such as the one in the picture from Haleakala on Maui, are only seen if we rise early and make the trek to the top of the mountain.  The blessings that stem from service, church attendance, exercise, education, and gainful employment are within our grasp if we just show up.  I can only speculate, but I'm sure President Monson didn't always have something new or insightful to share each time he visited the 83 widows in his East Salt Lake Ward as a young Bishop.  He just showed up consistently and provided friendship and a listening ear.  

This year has already been full of opportunities where just showing up is enough.  How am I doing?