LeBron James aka King James

Let me start by saying I’m not a sports fan. Let me add--I’m not allowed to watch the Steelers at all. Every time I walk into the room when they’re playing something bad happens on the field. So, I’m banished.

However, my son-in-law, Rich, is a huge sports fan. When we were visiting over Christmas he mentioned that LeBron James, a former Cleveland basketball player now playing for Miami, made a comment about not wanting to play a game on Christmas Day. Let me say--Whaaaaaaa! Big freaking baby! He's turned his Cleveland fans against him when he went to Miami as a free agent, now he whined about playing basketball on Christmas.

He plays--plays for a living. Sure, it’s a professional sport but it’s still a game. Does he think the firemen, hospital staff, police, and others want to work on Christmas? Did he even consider how many military men and women won’t be home for Christmas--not even in the same country? What makes him so special?

LeBron is still a baby in the game of life and he grew up watching sports on Christmas Day, yet he took basketball as his career. Just as each nurse, cop, and fireman knew they’d be working or called out on that day when they choose their careers but they sure don’t make the money the he makes. As for our military men and women--they live with the knowledge every day they may not even seen another Christmas Day.

I can understand his desire to have the day off but he does have other options. He can celebrate the holiday on another day. Many of us have to do that so we can be together as a family. Is he so special, in the game of life, he can’t see anything but his needs? Our military men and women don’t even get that option.

What’s my aim here, you’re probably wondering? How many of us will feel this way about our fans if we make it big? Do you think Queen Nora (LeBron is King James) ever gets tired of the long lines of fans wanting her signature at the conferences she attends? I see her patiently sitting at the table and signing, signing, signing. I can’t say she’s always smiling but then again, I’m not always smiling either. I have her signature and several others too and I’ve stood in those long lines and yet every author has thanked me, yes--thanked me, for stopping at his or her table and getting his or her signature. Writers are a rare breed. We may do all of our work at home but every writer I’ve met appreciates his or her fans.

Maybe King James needs to meet Queen Nora to learn how to be gracious to his fans and how not to keep offending them.

Denise Pattison