There is a terrific article in today’s Washington Post on DC United midfielder Santino Quaranta (I Should Have Been Dead). The piece tells the story of the early promise of a Baltimore teenager signed by DC at age 16, his drug addiction and injuries that led to benching and trades, and his redemption and return to DC.
Any who has ever heard me talk about politics or regularly reads this blog knows this story: boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy gets girl in end. Hope, loss and redemption. Early promise, setbacks, overcoming through personal strength and conviction.
Quaranta’s story has all the elements of the American narrative:
Boy meets girl: Raised in a working class neighborhood, loving parents with blue collar jobs, talent recognized early and swept from the streets to the elites, married a girl he met at an eighth-grade dance, early fame and success.
Boy loses girl: Injuries introduce him to drugs (a weakness that’s not entirely his fault shows him the dark side), “no one is going to tell me what to do” (hubris), drug addiction (he doesn’t change, drugs change him), traded for “player acquisition funds”, then traded again, then another injury, then out of contract at age 22.
Boy gets girl in end: Through personal strength and conviction (and the help of a loving wife and strong figures like DC United GM Kevin Payne and mid-fielder Ben Olsen) overcomes and succeeds.
This is the American narrative, in politics as well as sports (and business, and just about everywhere else).
Senator McCain. Early promise: son and grandson of admirals, goes to the Naval Academy; fall from grace/tragedy: parties a lot (dates a stripper), held prisoner in Vietnam; Redemption: finds inner strength, suffers then emerges a hero and stands up for what he believes in (with support of a loving wife) and succeeds.
Senator Obama. Early promise: son of hardworking immigrant father; tragedy/fall from grace; father leaves and is raised by a single mother, tries drugs, is a bit aimless; Redemption; hard work and perseverance and he’s a star at Harvard Law, sticks to his values (with the support of a loving wife and grandmother) and succeeds.
Run down the list - President Bush: son of a president grandson of a senator, lousy business man and party boy, finds god and with strength (and help from a loving wife) gets his act together, sticks to his beliefs and is elected president. Senator Kennedy: last surviving brother, historic legacy, drinking and irresponsible behavior, recommits to his core values (with the support of a loving wife), emerges as the Liberal Lion and is an American icon. This story can be told about countless politicians, business leaders, and others we honor.
This “fantasy theme” (to steal from Ernest Bormann) is easily found in the telling of everything from the founding of the republic (pilgrims looking for god, fall on hard times, persevere through faith and build nation), the revolution (winter soldiers), the Civil War (Lincoln’s restoration rhetoric) and on forward.
Quaranta’s story is compelling, gripping, humbling, and deeply American.
