A friend of mine on facebook…he’s actually a friend…I mean in real life…not just on facebook…anyway, this friend posted a status that struck a chord. Oh, and I hope he doesn’t mind my calling him a ‘friend’…lol

Post by Jay Platt.

Now, in my mind, I’m thinking, “what does it mean to ‘unfriend’ someone?” I mean, how do you arrive at a point where you decide that you are not going to be a friend to someone anymore?

Maybe the concept of ‘friend’ isn’t what it used to be. Like in my blog post the other day, seeing how the term ‘honor’ has trended, maybe the term ‘friend’ has too. Let’s see…

Interesting. And, applying logic to this also, if the use of the word has trended down, the idea probably has too. Just a little something to think about…

Jay, though, is a friend to many. He was a friend to me many years ago, even when I wasn’t that great of a friend back. Gunny Platt was a Staff Sargeant back then. He was my ammo chief when I was a young Lance Corporal. Me and him didn’t get along. We butted heads for a while but, one day, we sat down and talked. After that, we didn’t really see eye to eye on much but things were different…a little. I was still the hot-headed young marine with my momma’s temper. SSgt Platt stayed the motivator though. He kept taking care of me even when I didn’t know it. Matter of fact, I found out about some of the ways he looked after me twenty years later.

I caught up with Jay on facebook twenty years after I transferred out of Charlie Battery, First Battalion, Twelfth Marines through another marine that I had connected with on facebook. I sent him a message wondering if he even remembered me. He is a motivational speaker now…among other things. Anyway, he said he remembered me. The I had to apologize…twenty years after the fact. It took me twenty years and some growing up to understand what he did for me all those years ago.

The gunny is an old-school motivator. I’m sure he has had to dial things back since he’s not dealing with marines anymore. He is an inspiration to many. He has done some really amazing stuff. But the amazing stuff is even more amazing when you consider the fact that he had beaten cancer and was living with a tumor in his brain when he did that stuff. Check him out at sites like JayPlatt.com, EscapeFromAlcatraz.com and LivingUnstoppable.com. He has a facebook page called Unstoppable Insights also.

Back to the guy ‘unfriending’ Jay. I could see how someone might be led to do this. Sometimes, folks have a mentality that rebels against certain forms of motivation…or motivation in general. I was that way once. The guy was a ‘friend’ but not really a ‘friend’, you know? Kinda reminds me of that old movie Comancheros where John Wayne played Ranger Captain Jake Cutter, who was escorting a prisoner, played by Stuart Whitman, who kept calling him ‘friend’.

You use that term ‘friend’ mighty loosely there mon-sewer.”
– Ranger Captain Jake Cutter

Gotta love John Wayne. He had a way of saying things straight. Jay is alot the same way. Sugar coating stuff wastes time generally. Some people think they have to have things sugar-coated. Maybe this person was one of those people.

Anyway, check Jay out and see if he has anything for you. But if you ask for something from Jay, be prepared to get it. And wish him a happy birthday when ya go over there!