Don’t let anyone tell you that being a good father to your children is overrated or unnecessary.
During the annual “Blue-White” intra-squad game played by the University of Kentucky’s men’s basketball game to raise funds for charity, a local coal miner - who was identified as Michael Joe McGuire - could be seen sitting courtside with his young boy. The preteen child - also named Michael - was enthralled by the game unfolding before his eyes, while the father seemed equally captivated by the joy expressed by his son.
What makes this extra special is that the older McGuire was still dressed in his safety attire, his face covered with coal dust from the tunnels he had just spent hours working in. A photo of the father-son duo went viral on the internet, and even caught the attention of head coach John Calipari, who offered VIP treatment for the man’s family for the Wildcat’s season opener. Calipari had a personal connection to the coal mining industry, as his grandfather was once a miner himself.
I’ve thought a lot today about my grandfather, who worked underground in the mine. I’ve also had the privilege to go underground with miners in KY and a comment stuck out to me: “We go down together and we come up together.”
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) October 24, 2022
They work for each other. The ultimate teammates!!
Few things in life make me happier than seeing a father be dedicated to his children. One of the major problems in American society is that men are frequently choosing to value family less and less. When a society doesn’t have strong fathers, it won’t have strong families, and if it doesn’t have strong families, the society itself will disintegrate.
But small acts of dedication like this, while they may seem insignificant to the public at large, are the little things that strengthen families. I applaud McGuire for forsaking his own needs after what was undoubtedly a grueling day in the mines to spend quality time with his son, even if he risked looking foolish. The fact that he seemed content that his son was having fun is what makes this whole incident all the more encouraging.
