Lenny Kravitz just struck my brain

I was in the Hard Rock Cafe London in 2008 when Lenny Kravitz came up behind me…Nah, but that is a photo of him behind me. I heard, interestingly enough, that Kravitz ceased with the promiscuous rock star lifestyle in which he was enmeshed. A buddy of mine said Kravitz is celibate and has been for three years now by choice. I don’t know much more about the rocker pictured behind me except that he’s the son of the lady who played Helen Willis on the Jefferson’s, a 1970s sitcom that I watched religiously as a kid.

While Lenny’s relatively new found commitment to celibacy until he meets the right woman to marry may be scoffed at by  entertainment news sources, I appreciate the stand. I’ve heard speeches, sermons and lectures about making the right sacrifices. What are the right sacrifices? Another friend and I were discussing Michael Jordan’s recent induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Mike made some sacrifices. That’s why people wanted to be like Mike.

I’ve sacrificed too. Let’s take it back to the 80s when I was in seventh grade and I made accusations about my teacher’s sexual orientation to a group of boys standing in front of me. I was doing my comedy bit, being a regular Charlie Murphy storyteller when the teacher, at some point, walked up behind me and stood quietly undoubtedly hearing most of my rant. That day I sacrificed what was right for the approval of a bunch of 12-13 year-olds.

Later, as high school ended, I was a virtually non-recruited basketball player bent on playing college basketball. My choices were: #1 Walk-on and tryout somewhere #2 Go to Chapman University and pay to play or #3 Join the Army. I went to Chapman because they showed interest and 12 years later I’m still paying for door #2. The more checks I write, the more I wonder why I didn’t join the Army of One. I could have marched, ran, follow orders, etc…I think.

Sacrifice costs. That’s about all I know and it is irrevocable, so it would seem. If the tabloids are accurate, Lenny Kravitz is giving up something that has probably defined him because he is in search of the “more” that lies beyond an unsatisfying habit. My days of sacrificing are just beginning so I suppose my prayer is that despite my allegiance to habits, I will ever seek to relinquish comfort and convenience when truth is the casualty of not doing so.