Getting out the shower this morning Iam streaming a sports talk show and they are discussing our new coach sort of making fun of his Cajun accent. It brought up old wounds with me personally.
As a little boy I grew up way south in Lafitte, La. Both set of grandparents spoke fluid Cajun French. So obviously I had the accent very much. At 13 my mom remarried a man from River Ridge..... back then I referred to the New Orleans area as upfront.... meaning driving north to get there. When my family managed to gather up the money and work with the Curtis family to get me into John Curtis I never forget the first day in school at Curtis. Everyone in the small class wanted me to talk. Some asked many times to repeat myself. When I answered sometimes I very simply answered in French. Catching myself and going back to English. Many thought I was slow educationally and asked if I was in the special needs class. That soon ended after taking my first few test and getting the highest scores in the class. Anyway I went on to be a three year starter and all state player there and a good student and later got a Chemical Engineering degree. Approximately 6 years ago with the lost of a wife to cancer and just a need to do something different I sold my chemical company for probably more than Lafitte is worth. Lol. But the point is so many people "stereo type" people because of how they talk with an accent. Because of their skin color. Etc. Stereo typing people does not measure their intelligence, the heart, the work ethic and drive.
While Coach Oeaux was not my first choice he was my second. I wish we had gotten our first choice but I see value in the skills Coach O brings. And like I voted for Trump because I saw someone special. Not perfect. But special. I hope others on this sight or maybe just one person could be objective and not judge the product by the shell of that person but what's inside. Coach Oeaux in my mind checks many of the boxes that I would have as a coach. Now he must get folks around him that checks the boxes he does not have. That's how you build success.
As a little boy I grew up way south in Lafitte, La. Both set of grandparents spoke fluid Cajun French. So obviously I had the accent very much. At 13 my mom remarried a man from River Ridge..... back then I referred to the New Orleans area as upfront.... meaning driving north to get there. When my family managed to gather up the money and work with the Curtis family to get me into John Curtis I never forget the first day in school at Curtis. Everyone in the small class wanted me to talk. Some asked many times to repeat myself. When I answered sometimes I very simply answered in French. Catching myself and going back to English. Many thought I was slow educationally and asked if I was in the special needs class. That soon ended after taking my first few test and getting the highest scores in the class. Anyway I went on to be a three year starter and all state player there and a good student and later got a Chemical Engineering degree. Approximately 6 years ago with the lost of a wife to cancer and just a need to do something different I sold my chemical company for probably more than Lafitte is worth. Lol. But the point is so many people "stereo type" people because of how they talk with an accent. Because of their skin color. Etc. Stereo typing people does not measure their intelligence, the heart, the work ethic and drive.
While Coach Oeaux was not my first choice he was my second. I wish we had gotten our first choice but I see value in the skills Coach O brings. And like I voted for Trump because I saw someone special. Not perfect. But special. I hope others on this sight or maybe just one person could be objective and not judge the product by the shell of that person but what's inside. Coach Oeaux in my mind checks many of the boxes that I would have as a coach. Now he must get folks around him that checks the boxes he does not have. That's how you build success.
