Getting Lifted up by George Foreman

In arenas and theaters, the green room is the place where you wait to go on stage.  The event producers bring the speakers to the arena about an hour before they speak so there is some overlap in the green room … which means I get to hang out with some fairly big names sometimes.  It is amazing to discover that these people are almost all really nice.  I mean like down to earth, hang out with you and go bowling nice.  Especially George Foreman.

Foreman is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, period.  We’re about the same age so I remember something about what a bad boy he was back when he fought Ali.  The words "bad boy" don’t do his attitude justice in those days.  He was terrifying.  Scared other boxers so much they didn’t want to fight him.  And here he is in the Green Room, this big teddy bear of a guy who sincerely is interested in whoever he’s talking with.

What a change.  He says it started when he got humbled by Ali.  It stripped him of a kind of rigid pride.  Then he got completely humbled by becoming a 300 pound street corner preacher and a total failure at it.  And he went from there to regaining the heavyweight boxing world crown in his 40’s.  And then he sold the Foreman Grill business for about $140,000,000.  Built a church and preaches in it. 

Seems to me it would be hard to be humble after becoming a huge success in three different careers. But somehow he left the old attitude in Zaire, I guess, because this new man is all about lifting other people up.  He did it to me in the Green Room.

Oh.  Make that 4 careers.  Foreman is the best speaker I’ve ever heard in my life.  He finds a way to connect with you like he’s your best friend.  If you get a chance to hear him, don’t miss it.  He just might find a way to lift you up, too.