Tuesday with Tim #2

Hey! It’s everyone’s (new) favorite time of week again: Tuesday with Tim! The advantage to writing a blog – rather than giving a speech—is that I do not need to wait for the applause to abate before continuing. So please, continue the cheering, I’ll go on.

First of all, congratulations to Chris for winning the Create-your-own-Backstroke competition (read the inspiration for last week’s post). As many of you will soon learn, Star Wars quotes and references will almost always get you onto the list of finalists when I’m running a competition. Honorable mention goes to Liz for her early and applicable entry. And in May the strength is and you, too.

I find that the disadvantage to writing a weekly post is that I feel pressure to really deliver something noteworthy. If I were to just post willy-nilly (like some other posters on this blog… not mentioning names…), I could sweep an inferior post under the carpet the next day, and any previous misstep would be forgotten. So, I guarantee* to do my best to satisfy my horde of adoring fans (*guarantee is not a guarantee).

For this week’s challenge, I would like us all to commemorate Mr. T’s 57th birthday. Now, before you all say, “But, Tim! Mr. T’s birthday isn’t until May 21!” I know… But if we do the challenge then, it will just be one of many such celebratory events, and it will be white noise. You’ll thank me come May 21…

In order to honor the gold chain-adorned pop-culture force that is Mr. T (b. Laruence Turead), I invite you all to write a haiku to/about him (for those of you not still in high school, remember that a haiku is a poem featuring a 5/7/5 meter… more here and here). You can discuss his adventures in the A-Team, his fighting prowess in Rocky III, or his mad vocal stylings in Be Somebody or Be Somebody’s Fool—all is fair game. If you’re feeling particularly creative, sonnets will also be accepted (more on that here).

For inspiration, check out these videos. The winner will receive—from me—the satisfaction of knowing that he/she is somebody, and not somebody’s fool—a fool for whom Mr. T would undoubtedly have great pity. My entry:

Pityer of fools,
his gold chains are inspiring.
Mister among men.

Good luck!