Colin Whitehead is committing to the process

It is my hope that most of us have childhood friends. The friends we make when we are just a few years old are special.

When we are young, we come together because we want to share fun with each other. Childhood friends help shape perceptions and attitude, they are people to experiment with, throwing around new ideas and unattempted feats of mental and physical heroism.

Being a kid is something a majority of us look back at fondly, and I believe a large portion of those great memories we made as kids were accompanied by equally great friends.

In a way, the COVID-19 pandemic was an opportunity to revert to what it was like as kids: being stuck in the house, not having any need to go anywhere outside of the neighborhood; it became just as exciting to see neighbors taking walks past my front-room window as they try to mitigate the intimidating ramifications of cabin fever.

When I was a kid, very little time was ever spent inside, and whatever time I did end up spending inside, i spent it playing James Bond 007: Nightfire and Super Mario Strikers for the GameCube. Before LAN parties and ‘squadding up’ was a thing, you went over to a friend’s house to share controllers on one game console. When I got tired of team death match, my first inclination was to play soccer.

I did not know how lucky I was to have two twin boys, two houses down from mine, that also had a GameCube and also pursued the sport of soccer. As a disclaimer, it was just as important to have my BROTHER, who also played soccer, as a motivating force to improve on my game. However, in the scope of this conversation, I need to set the stage for my guest today.

He is one of those two twin boys. He, his brother, my brother, and I would hold conversation together for hours while passing the ball around in the street, making soccer trick shot montages, or trying oh so carefully to make sure Calvin, their dog, didn’t chew up another soccer ball.

Having childhood friends is special. Having childhood friends that you get to say you are still close friends with is even more special.

My guest today has an absolutely persistent work ethic, and a heart as big as his smile. He is an adept communicator, a brilliant thinker, and an absolutely great Super Mario Strikers teammate. He has accomplish many great things, and has faced even greater challenges in his life.

He has been an influential figure to me since the first days of my life that I can actually remember. And luckily for all of us, we all get to sit down with him for the first time on the podcast.

Everyone please welcome the one and only, Colin Whitehead.

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