UNSCRIPTED: To a Man Among Men…
Unscripted
By Keith Edmonds
FWIS Contributing Writer
Happy Fathers Day!
You should know just a little bit about a lot of things, so you can enter any conversation with a working knowledge.”~ Freddy Bolton
I wrote this tribute several years ago after reports of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant’s unfortunate passing. It sent a shockwave through the sports world that many are still recovering from today. That date was January 26th, 2020. I can vividly remember where I was, what I was doing, and how I felt when I heard that this iconic figure had suddenly passed. It gave me a feeling of disbelief and the kind of numbness you feel when someone that you’d never met loses their life, it’s like a part of you goes with them....
In today’s UNSCRIPTED I wanted to share my thoughts about the passing of another iconic figure in my life who passed just 2 days after Laker Legend Kobe Bryant, and it also gave me chills in another type of way because he was my father, Freddy Lee Bolton.
With Father’s Day 2024 just around the corner, I felt that it would be appropriate to share my thoughts with you. Many of you may not have known my dad, but the tremors and aftershock along with his words of wisdom still resonate in my heart today. Kobe Bryant had a way that he approached his life and NBA talents that he called: “Mamba Mentality” So, when I wrote this years ago about my dad, I too called it having the same Mamba Mentality because he approached his life in the very same way that Kobe did. Not necessarily sports, but his day-to-day doings. Here is what I wrote in January 2020…
This past week, the entire sports world has been affected by the passing of sports icon Kobe Bryant. His tremendous talents and ability to play the game of basketball placed him among those mentioned as being one of the greatest to ever play the game! Sure, there are some names that we can throw in the conversation as being the greatest, but Bryant’s basketball talents were only a reflection of his true greatness. There are so many variables we can use to describe him that we would run out of adjectives trying to fit them all in his diary of Kobe Bryant the man.
His passion to compete, and his will to win has been described as ‘Mamba Mentality.’ His ferociousness in playing the game of basketball is unquestioned, and rarely disputed among those that have a true understanding of the game. But if I may turn this story for a minute, I’d like to introduce you to another person who I think exuded the very same confidence of a champion and was the epitome of the term ‘Mamba Mentality.’ His name is Freddy Lee Bolton who became my father after the passing of my original father Robert “Big Bob” Edmonds.
Now you may ask who is he? Is he a famous sports figure? Is he a world-renowned superstar? The answer to both those questions would be only if you asked those who knew him best... Fred Bolton was not known as a sports superstar or international figure, but approached each day with the same passion and unyielding spirit that Kobe did. He influenced so many people to do what was right and fair that I would be remiss as to not mention him today as my father, mentor, and friend. Fred Bolton’s passing two days after Kobe Bryant was just as influential, just as impactful, and just as inspiring for me as Kobe’s because I KNEW him. Sports bring us together in amazing ways and we often idolize those that we see on the stage, or screen as people that we’d love to walk in their shoes, if only for a day. The problem is that we often overlook those that support us on a daily basis, and battle in the trenches helping us to accomplish our goals and get us from one day to the next. Those people need to be given the same reverence and esteem that we give figures like Kobe Bryant. My father was active in his service towards others, believed in the good in people, and found ways to honor those in his daily walk that could not either speak for themselves, or were never recognized for their achievements by others.
Fred Bolton was a man that had a thirst for life and shared with me “you should know just a little bit about a lot of things, so you can enter any conversation with a working knowledge.” This became something that I’ve held onto all of my life as I come in contact with individuals on a daily basis.
His ‘Mamba Mentality’ inspired me to go to college, obtain my Bachelor’s and two Masters degrees and pursue a career in education and continue working with young people to bring out the best in them that lasted almost 40 years! This is something that I will always appreciate in him and carry as a mantle of honor as I move forward in my own life as a father. He was always there with a poignant word or suggestion and made himself readily available to play golf, attend a CUBS game, or sit a talk politics over a cold beer. I’ll always appreciate him being there in not only the good times that I experienced in life, but also when I was navigating some of my most challenging and difficult waters that life through at me. As I now look back to how many times, he guided and orchestrated so many happenings in our family without saying a whole lot, but more so just giving us the nod of approval or disapproval when his influence was needed. Freddy Lee Bolton, I want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for being a man or integrity, discipline, and honor and for your Mamba Mentality approach in life! To all of the men out there being great fathers, leaders, and role models for their families....HAPPY FATHERS DAYS!