Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Sometimes when you look back, you just have to laugh. The things you thought were important when you were young now look pretty silly. One of those things, when I was growing up, was guys having long hair. Now I just wish I had some hair.
My Dad was very conservative. I wanted long hair because all my friends had long hair. My Dad would tell me he already had a girl. Still, I fussed and fussed, but it did no good. Finally my Dad came up with a way for me to “earn” my long hair. I could either get straight “A’s” or I could make the basketball team. I knew the straight “A” thing was probably a stretch, so I concentrated on fine-tuning my basketball skills. My Dad even built a basketball goal in the backyard and he covered a section of the backyard with concrete. I got pretty good, but at only five foot, ten inches in height, I never stood a real good chance of making one of my high school basketball teams.
My high school Physics teacher challenged our class with a bridge building assignment. We were given a few feet of balsa wood. We were given the length, width and height of the bridge dimensions and we were told a certain size triangle would have to fit through the center of it. With those as the only instructions we were to design the bridge. We were then told to get to work on building that design. It would be a contest to see whose bridge could hold the most weight. The winner would get an “A” in the class for that quarter. I was working on my bridge up until the time the competition started. Once the first round started you couldn’t do anymore to your bridge. As they loaded the weights on my bridge that first day it started creaking. Everyone, myself included, thought the poor little bridge wouldn’t survive the first round. When it was all over, to everyone’s surprise, my little bridge held the most weight and I received an “A” for the quarter.
One “A” down, I only had three to go. I took carpentry at the Vo-Tech center. I really enjoyed that class and I did pretty well in it, too. There was “A” number two. I was pretty good with math, so I tried even harder and was able to get an “A” in that class as well. Finally there came the really tough one for me: English. I don’t know what ever possessed me to do it, but I took an honors English course. I hated English. I tried as hard as I could and gave it everything I had. As the class came to a close I ended up with a “B.” I was one short of my straight “A’s.”
My Dad finally relented and let me grow my hair long. Strange thing, I can’t stand when my hair grows over my ears now and I keep it really short or at least what I have left of it.
His name was Willis Ward. His Dad moved from Alabama to Detroit when he got a job at a Ford Motor Company factory. Willis would attend Northwestern High School in Detroit. After setting a national prep record in the high jump he was named Michigan High School Athlete of the Year. He went on to the University of Michigan where he was a collegiate champion in the high jump, the long jump, the 100-yard dash, and the 440-yard dash. He was a three-time All-American and an eight-time Big Ten champion. In 1981, two years before he died, Willis was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honors.
Willis’ track and field honors weren’t all that got him noticed. Willis was also a football player at the University of Michigan. In fact, he lettered three years on the Wolverines football team. I’m sure a lot of kids have earned letters in football at universities across our country, but Willis was only the second African-American to do it at the University of Michigan.
It was the 1930’s and African-Americans did not enjoy many of the rights they have today. Willis was one of those to experience that injustice. In 1934, Georgia Tech refused to take the field if Willis was allowed to play. Michigan had won the National Championship the previous two years, but they were struggling to win one game that year. On away games Willis would room with one of the few stars left from those teams. They became very good friends.
Johnnie and Dave were best friends. Johnnie’s Mom, Ahinoam, would have three other sons and two daughters. Since these were Bible times, concubines were also allowed. His father had one of those, too. Her name was Rizpah. Johnnie would have two half-brothers from that relationship. Dave was the youngest of eight sons. Where Johnnie’s Dad ran the kingdom, Dave’s Dad was a farmer and breeder of sheep.
As the youngest son, Dave probably got all the chores none of the other kids wanted to do. That job, more often than not, involved watching those smelly sheep. Dave caught on pretty quickly to the task and seemed to always have a great attitude about it. When danger came to those sheep he was pretty protective. He learned rather quickly how to chase away all those wild animals. Watching sheep could get boring, so Dave used his spare time to learn to play music.
Dave got so good at playing his music he was asked to come and play for the King. Even after a rough day on the battlefield, Dave’s music would calm the King down. This is where Johnnie and Dave probably became such good friends. Dave was really popular and this began to upset the King. In fact, the King got so upset that he decided Dave needed to be eliminated (killed). Dave told Johnnie of his fears about his Dad. Johnnie said, “Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way that is true.” Dave gave him a test for his Dad and when his Dad behaved just like Dave predicted, Johnnie had to face the reality that Dave’s life was in danger. Dave decide he needed to run away and asked Johnnie to join him.
Jonathan (Johnnie) knew his Dad, Saul, was a little bit crazy, but he knew that he needed to stand by him regardless. Jonathan and David (Dave), with tears in their eyes departed as best friends. It was probably the last time David saw Jonathan, who would die in a battle on the same battlefield as his father, Saul.
Willis Ward’s roommate was very upset that Georgia Tech was threating to not play just because his roommate, Willis Ward, was an African-American. Willis’ roommate, Gerald Ford, was a star center, linebacker, and long snapper for the 1932 and 1933 University of Michigan Wolverines’ National Championship teams. Ford was so upset at Willis’ slight that he decided if Willis couldn’t play, he wasn’t going to play either. Willis, himself, calmed Ford down and talked him into playing anyway. Reluctantly, Gerald Ford listened and played in the game.
The Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers both tried to get Gerald Ford to sign with them. Instead, Ford took a job at Yale University as a boxing coach and assistant varsity football coach. He was hoping, and was finally able, to attend Yale Law School. When Gerald Ford was President he would often have The Victors, the University of Michigan fight song, played as he entered the room instead of Hail to the Chief.
Sometimes we fight for things we think are right. Often we don’t win those battles. Whether it is trying to fit in with the latest fad, like long hair, or standing up for a friend even if he is disliked by someone close to us, or really wanting to make a statement and being talked out of it by the victim himself, we are touched by our or others’ plight. The answers don’t always turn out the way we want them to, but if we keep our faith and focus on what God wants He will work it out for His best.
Prayer: Dear Mighty Father, I can look in my mirror and see a few little gray hairs creeping into the sparse crowd on top of my head. They remind me of times, long ago, when there were a lot more of them up there. But their history was promoted by one of my first motivations to try as hard as I could to use everything you gave me to “fit in.” Thanks for using determination to touch us when we see injustice. Amen.
