Shawn and I

I have a short list of people that I wish I could meet (or would have met) sometime in my life. It is an eclectic grouping of talent of musicians, writers, astrophysicists, comedians, and film makers.

Most on the list are dead, such as Waylon Jennings, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Fosse, and Hunter S. Thompson, so I can only know them through their works. Others I admire from afar, holding onto the slim hope that one day I'll be graced by their presence and words of wisdom. I've often daydreamed of holding court with George Carlin to discuss life, culture, and linguistics. And there are, of course, those I feel would just be cool to hang out with (Dave Chapelle, Willie Nelson, Johnny Depp).

Thinking about the list, there seems to be a single unifying component that intrigues me about all of them. They were all geniuses in their own right in what they did. They were all able to pinpoint a talent early in life and turn it into well-rounded and well-respected careers. I suppose it's all fantasy, but I do feel that I relate to all of them in that one way, at the same time envying their success and wondering just how they were able to turn off the voices of social reason and forge their lives and genius in such self-defining ways.

I was just reading a rather uninspired yet somewhat insightful article about Shawn Marion. From my perspective, it is easy to understand why he feels so under-appreciated. Aside from the lucrative max deal he got from the Suns, the Nike deal, and the fact that a member of the Pussycat Dolls wears a Suns 31 jersey for ABC games, Shawn Marion just doesn't seem to get the recognition - not that he needs - but that he truly deserves.

Like Shawn, I was once a consistently key component of an organization (a performance company). I was the guy who did everything to insure that everyone was on the same page, and who covered the mistakes of others (granted, making a few mistakes of my own along the way). It was suspected among the organization that I was a genius of sorts, bringing in new ideas and a pragmatic sense of secondary leadership that took the old way and made sense of it to the new wave of talent. People wanted to be a part of what I was doing because they recognized its value and potential. I was hesitantly regarded as "the future".

Still, when it came time for accolades, I always seemed to be an afterthought, garnering the occasional "nice work, I hope you keep it up" from random viewers. My name was rarely mentioned along side the "stars" of the program, although I got my internal thanks after it was all over. It's frustrating for a person to know that he's a significant component to a machine, to be told so behind closed doors, and never getting elevated to the status that others achieve (in no small part to his own efforts, hard work, and yes...suspected genius).

There's always a hierarchical component to organizational performance, but rarely is that dynamic displayed in its natural form. One member's personality or "star power" invariably skews the public perception, and those less deserving members get the more important accolades that those who actually make it all possible are denied. Well, if not possible, then at least more successful than it would have been.

The light bulb glows, and people are thankful for the light, not the electricity.

And I can see that in Shawn Marion. What he accomplishes on the basketball court is sheer physical genius. It's not just that he's undersized or unorthodox. It's that he's everywhere. The qualities that prompted Kenny Smith to dub him "the Matrix" are the foundation for his genius. But he moves so quickly and effortlessly that it's easy to overlook everything he accomplishes between the baselines.

Maybe it isn't so much that I want to meet him, but that I feel like he should meet me. I read and hear every word he says on the subject of his lack of media respect, and I understand exactly where he's coming from. Even when most people look at the contract and the All Star appointments, I see what's really missing from his resume. He gets plenty of behind-the-scenes thanks and meaningless nods from game-day media staff. All that amounts to is a future of "Hey, remember that guy who could fill a stat sheet?"

Shawn Marion is better than that. I'd love to meet him. I suspect that there's a lot more going on in that mind of his than people give him credit for. It takes one to know one, and I think that Shawn is one of those subtle geniuses whose gifts won't truly be appreciated fully until after he's long gone.