This past Sunday I was able to meet one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. Ron Simmons, known to many fans for being the first black WCW World Heavyweight Champion as well as a member of the Nation of Domination and the Acolytes Protection Agency in the WWE as Farooq. He had such a presence about him that though younger fans may only know him as the guy who is reduced to a catchphrase nowadays, he was one of the more powerful performers I ever had the chance to see. However, this is more than just an extended Wikipedia page about Simmons' career.
Simmons was well known around Middle Georgia, particularly in the small city of Perry. He attended Warner Robins High School, which was the school my brothers and I attended in the late 1980s - early 1990s. He was workout buddies with my uncle, and even to this day is one of the most celebrated athletes in the area, from his All-American career at Florida State to his exploits in the squared circle. Along with other players such as former Los Angeles Raider Eddie Anderson, it's always refreshing to see people from our hometown grow up to succeed on a greater scale.
Meeting him was more than about getting a photo-op (although it was incredibly cool!) it was about reminiscing about dreams from a long time ago. Often we allow the treadmill of life to interrupt those dreams and we leave them back in our hometown, thinking that they were only foolish machinations of our mind as we move forward to focus on bigger paychecks and comfort. Mr. Simmons was a reminder of how dreams can truly come true if we are willing to work hard and stay focused on the bigger goal ahead.
Wherever you go, bring your dreams and gifts with you; you never know what rooms they can open...
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