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Michael Jordan turned fifty this past weekend.
(Really? Fifty? Wow, suddenly I feel really antiquey.)
I've read some sportswriters who speculate as to whether he could still play in the NBA today. Stop it. Actually, he stayed too long last time.
Remember when he was a shell of his former self in a Washington Wizards uniform? I shudder at the thought.
The Pope, on the other hand, will not have this problem.
He's stepping down. He's the first pope to do so in 700 years. Maybe there should have been more.
In a statement, Pope Benedict said, "Both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."
His resignation sent shockwaves through the Catholic Church in every corner of the world. It was completely unexpected. Apparently his decision was very much his own, and one he kept very close to himself. The higher-ups at the Vatican didn't know it was coming...nor did his family.
Some have been critical saying he's walking out on his flock, abdicating his sacred responsibilities. Others say he's running from schisms in the church and controversies that have dogged him...the priest pedophile scandal for one.
Maybe.
Or maybe the answer is simpler than that. Maybe he's simply self-aware.
Supreme Court justices in the United States are appointed for life, but often, as their strength fades and their energy erodes, they retire. Take Sandra Day O'Connor who retired in 2006, for example.
There comes a time to recognize that maybe you're doing more harm than good, or that maybe someone else can bring an energy and crispness to the game that you simply can't anymore.
I've seen the enfeebled popes of the past and wondered how they functioned at anywhere close to their peak abilities. They didn't. Others functioned for them as they held the form of leadership for show.
It takes courage to be self-aware. It takes courage to face yourself honestly.
Many athletes like Michael Jordan can't face their deterioration, and they battle and fight their athletic demise until they become the fool. They go from judge to jester. (Anyone old enough to remember Willie Mays as a New York Met?)
I can't blame them. I'm still refusing to look at my AARP mail, and I want nothing to do with having a card. As if having one would be admitting something that I simply don't want to admit.
But not Pope Benedict.
He doesn't want to be a shell of a leader; he wants to be a leader in reality. I respect that. So what if it causes some derision. So what if it stirs up some panic. The Cardinals will figure it out and find their new leader in due time.
One good thing is that they say it will take less time than usual because they don't have to plan and execute an elaborate funeral for a dead pope like they normally do.
See? There's always a bright side.
And who knows...maybe the next pope will be energetic and brilliant...just the man for these times.
Which can only happen because one man had the courage not to overstay his welcome.
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