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Austin da Luz One of The Bright Spots This Year

 Yesterday I introduced you to one of my favorite people that I have had the pleasure of meeting this year, Austin da Luz. If you missed it check it out here. Today read how meeting him has affected my life in more than one way.

 austin da luz bright spots

Yesterday, I told you about Austin da Luz and his return to the Carolina Railhawks and I also told you that he was my favorite but I have to be honest saying he is my favorite was not exactly true.  Yes he is my favorite but I have found that there is more to him than meets the eye and I have to admit that I am guilty of making him into something bigger than he actually is. Now folks that is not a bad thing, like you may think, it is actually a good thing. Realizing that he is an ordinary guy who just happens to play soccer has made him less God like in my eyes and more the guy that he is. Yes he plays soccer but he is more than a soccer player. He is first and foremost a guy who gets up every day and goes to work to make money to pay his rent. Just like most of us do, his job just happens to be as a soccer player.

Railhawks broromance

To many times society puts those that play sports on a pedestal and I have to admit that I have done that with a lot of the Railhawk players and I want to take this time to sincerely apologize for that because folks they are normal people just like you and me who often worry about the same things we do but because they are in the public eye they have to be careful on how they express themselves and who they let close to them. Their lives are probably harder than ours because they never know if people want to get to know them because of who they really are or what people think they are.  Sometimes that can be a huge difference. It must be hard not to be able to know who to trust and who not to trust.

twitter following

I remember the day that I got the notification that he had followed me on Twitter and I thought finally I had made it. But after less than a week I was unfollowed and I was crushed. But to be honest in hindsight I really should not have been because after all he is just another person in the world and although I was excited that he had followed me I should not have been crushed when he unfollowed me because not all people can take me cluttering up their twitter feed. Because let’s face it I tweet a lot but that is part of the business I am in. Anyone that follows me on twitter knows what I mean, but do you know what has happened since then my twitter follow has blown up as well as my blog posting, pageviews and social media followers. I look back and reflect and I want to say thank you to him for unfollowing because it just made me work harder.

Now onto the reasons why he was my favorite player- notice the use of the word was but that is not a bad thing. But he is one of my favorite people. Instead of looking at him like a player I am looking at him as what he truly is a person who has his own quirks and is just like me often insecure sometimes with sharing their thoughts. So he is not my favorite player but he is someone that I admire and not just because of what he brings to the soccer field and not because he is nice to look at (Had to put a little humor in here because this post is getting a little melancholy and even some of you have commented on that as well in other posts). But by being considerate of others feelings, I realize that he is just doing the best that can in sometimes impossible situations. I can only hope that I have done as well as a job raising my girls as his parents did raising him, then I know that I have done an awesome job.

This post was meant to be one to tell you the reasons why he was favorite player but instead I think that I will turn it into an apology to him, because “Austin, when I said you were my favorite player I set an impossible standard that you could not live up to and I am so sorry. But all thing consider I am glad that I got a chance to get to know you a little better and even though you aren’t my favorite anymore (who I am kidding you will still be the one I get excited to see play 🙂 ) because I am not going to have a favorite you are absolutely one of those people that I am glad that I got a chance to get to know a little better because it has forced me to look at myself and realize that I shouldn’t measure my successes by others but instead by my own personal level.”

austin da luz and I (1)

But I do want to say that getting to know Austin has been a shining point in a year that I would rather forget. Check back tomorrow and I have a little fun with Austin. Did I mention how funny he is? Check out the post tomorrow to see what I mean.

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38 Comments

  2. I’ll have to check your post tomorrow then just to see how funny he is and I’m glad that he’s back since he’s your absolute favorite.

  3. It is awesome that you got to meet him, but kind of a bummer that he unfollowed you. I only tweet a few times a day because I hate to have my feed cluttered up, so I don’t want to do that to anyone else, you know?

  5. Anyone whose name is in the spotlight has the same problem. I’m sure there are author’s out there who can not possibly live up to their reps. They are human beings as are all the people who play sports. I don’t worry overmuch who follows me or who doesn’t–my twitter is generally filled with everyone else’s tweets–mine get lost in the shuffle-but that is okay too–if someone really wants to contact me-they know where to find me!

  6. I completely understand. I remember when LL Cool J retweeted me! I responded to it and thought I could actually start a conversation. Bu he has ons of people following him. I’m just one of very many. It’s great that you got to meet someone you admired.

  7. At first I did, but then I realized that I made human contact and have a great person that I can correspond with so that was better than a twitter follower to me anyday .

  11. I have never met a professional sports player. What a wonderful experience for you! Henry Winkler “The Fonz!” retweeted me. Of course I was promoting his book! 😉

  12. I’m excited to read more about him. (I feel like I know him primarily through your blog!) And the whole unfollowing thing…I have people I thought I was socially close with who have recently unfollowed me. I try not to take it personally.

  13. Awww That stinks that he unfollowed. Id take it to heart if it were me, but at least you got to meet him. That will be a great memory forever!

  14. I hate that so many people do seem to think they deserve so much attention when they are in fact human. I am glad that your favorite player does not let it all go to his head.

  15. It sounds like you learned a lot through the whole experience. I’m glad he’s back on the team for more sporting fun now though!

  16. It’s funny how life teaches us lessons where we least expect it 🙂 I’ve enjoyed reading about him through your posts – seems like a great guy!

  18. Yep, they are people just like us, but happen to have cool jobs. Glad you got to meet someone you admire. Sounds like he is a fun guy to be around.

  20. I love your soccer adventures. This is the very thing with James Rodriguez. Now playing is Spain he has become a god like figure. Hopefully he keeps true to himself

  21. wow this post was quite a roller coaster ride. LOL I’m glad you and him are still talking even when he unfollowed you! 🙂

  22. He sounds like a really great person. The humor only makes it more fun. Thanks for sharing.

  23. It’s easy to set people in the limelight too high on a pedestal. I’m sure they’re used to it, and like it at times…but I’m sure it comes with its own set of challenges too, just like you’ve said here. 🙂

  24. So cool that you got to meet him, it’s definitely true we do let things affect us perhaps more than they should sometimes (especially when it comes to social media)

  25. It’s hard not to take it personally when someone unfollows you – especially someone you admire – but I’m glad it all worked out!

  26. I think it is terrific that you got to meet him and had such a great experience. I look forward to reading tomorrows post.

  28. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Austin with us and I am excited to read more on him through your posts. Its rather hurtful that he unfollowed you, but hey! its his loss! 🙂

  29. How great! I love when you get those little notifications that someone is following you and it turns out to be someone you admire! How gracious of him!

  33. I think I am learning quite a bit about soccer and players since I’ve started visiting your blog!

  34. That is pretty awesome that you got to meet him. I’ll be honest, I don’t keep up with soccer or its players, but your blog has really kept me informed.

  36. I really do try to keep in mind that “celebrities” are people like us and really don’t need to be put on a petal. I really don’t follow sports too much. he sounds like a great guy

  38. I had to LOL at the part where you said he wasn’t your favorite anymore. But it is so nice to know that he truly is just a regular guy…who rocks at playing soccer.

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