We all have had “one of those days.” Unfortunately, for Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, it is tragically becoming the norm. On Wednesday night, in Fort Pierce, Florida, Cabrera was spotted by a deputy as he was parked in his car along the side of a road with the engine smoking. Obviously, the deputy stopped and noticed that Cabrera smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech, and even took a swig from a bottle of scotch. Being uncooperative, more deputies were called to the scene. Before being placed in handcuffs, Cabrera was wandering in the road and mentioning to the deputies, “Do you know who I am? You don’t know anything about my problems.” Cabrera also was cursing at the deputies as he was being placed in the patrol car. While some people may snicker at the details of his arrest, because it is human nature to laugh at someone else’s expense, it serves as a glaring warning that Cabrera needs some help. Someone needs to step in and make sure he seeks the counseling to address his demons.
If this was a first offense for Miguel Cabrera, one could shrug it off and chalk it up to an unfortunate mistake and hope that he learns from his error. However, this is much more than that for Cabrera. In 2009, he was arrested for getting into an altercation with his wife, after a night of drinking. During last year’s offseason, Cabrera indicated he was finished with alcohol and spent time receiving counseling. Wednesday night was more than just a terrible decision; instead, the choice of not to commit the act may not have even crossed his mind.
Charles Barkley famously or infamously (depending on your outlook) quipped in 1993 that athletes should not be considered role models. Instead, he made it a point to suggest that parents are the true standard for which children should follow. The message was seen as controversial at the time, with different organizations claiming that people in the public eye are, in fact, role models. By digging a bit deeper into those thoughts years later, one can fully understand what Barkley was trying to accomplish. When famous personalities, in this case Cabrera, falters or shows inadequacies, it allows parents to step in and communicate with their children. Even though we wrongly place said individuals on pedestals, instances such as this remind us that even the highest regarded people are human and will confront the same challenges as everyone else. It is imperative for parents to utilize times like these, for children, especially adolescents, do not often leave a door open for a parent to enter and discuss life’s lessons. While these discussions may be difficult to muster, it paves the way for a child to grasp the shortcomings that we all have. Hopefully parents will have a positive ending with this unfortunate story. Maybe their children will listen and open their eyes to life in the real world. Just as important, hopefully at age 27, Miguel Cabrera will join them in doing so.
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