In Writer and Director James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), genetically and cybernetically altered raccoon Rocket (iconically voiced by Bradley Cooper) goes into cardiac arrest while his best friend Peter, played by sadden Chris Pratt, tries desperately to revive him.
In the afterlife or heaven, Rocket reunites with the love of his life, also genetically and cybernetically altered otter Lylla (genuinely voiced by Linda Cardellini). Rocket had failed to save Lylla.
Rocket says, “Can I come (with you)?”
Lylla says, “Yes! But not yet. You still have a purpose here (with Peter and his friends).”
Rocket cries, “A purpose for what? They made us for nothing. Just stupid experiments to be thrown away!”
Lylla says, “There are the hands that made us, and then there are the hands that guide the hands.”
Lylla gently kisses Rocket.
Lylla reminds, “My beloved racoon. The story has been yours all along. You just didn’t know it.”
My parent’s hands made me. In fact, they made me. Since I was a little boy, Dad scared me to my very soul. Mom profoundly got that. She constantly reminded, “Slow down, Jonny.” She was telling me to calm my soul. That things had a way of working out. I just didn’t know it at the time. As I grew older I got it.
Whatever I did or didn’t do only made Dad so angry at me. I lived my no-win scenario childhood. I was Dad’s greatest disappointment in life. That made me so angry. Really, I was just so very sad. I just didn’t know it.
In ESPN 30 for 30: The Last Dance that told the story of the Chicago Bulls NBA Championship Three-peat, GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) Michael Jordan poignantly talked about whether he was a nice guy.
Michael admitted, “I mean winning has a price and leadership has a price.”
Michael callously said, “You ask all my teammates. The one thing about Michael Jordan was that he never asked me to do something that he didn’t fucking do.”
There’s only one GOAT by definition. Most couldn’t do what Michael did, because he was the GOAT. Maybe, Michael had to prove that he was at the top of mountain. He just didn’t know that he did. He made sure that no one was even close to him. As a fan watching his NBA career, Michael didn’t seem to raise up others to his level of greatness. He didn’t guide others with his hands. That was too bad.
I have trained in Aikido for 35 years with the late Mizukami Sensei and Ishibashi Sensei. Mizukami Sensei taught both Ishibashi Sensei and me. Ishibashi Sensei is now my Sensei. Mizukami Sensei said, “You don’t have to do it (Aikido technique) like I do. Make it your own.” Ishibashi Sensei patiently showed me how to do iriminage (clothesline technique to the attacker’s head). Sensei said, “If I can do it, you can do it.”
Mizukami Sensei and Ishibashi Sensei are greater than me, and they guide me to invent the greatest version of myself. They are the hands that guide my hands, guide me. They inspire me to work on myself, not on others. That’s all I can do.
I work with my therapist Lance Miller to heal my childhood trauma and depression. Like Mizukami Sensei and Ishibashi guided me to enter the attack, enter what I fear, I enter my fear of I’m not being good enough for Dad when I was 8 years old. In Lance’s guiding hands, I let go my fear inside that I’m not being good enough. I forgive Dad for not knowing how to be a father and husband, for being afraid inside, and for being imperfectly human. I forgive myself for not being strong enough to stand up to Dad when I was a little boy and protect Mom. I forgive myself for being imperfectly human, too.
There are the hands that made us. There are also the hands that guide us to evolve into the greater-than versions of ourselves. In the guiding hands of the late Mizukami Sensei, Ishibashi Sensei, my late Mom, and Lance Miller, I love myself for who I am and forgive myself for who I’m not. My life is meaningful, because of them, because of who they are.
We’re all made whatever way we are. We have our own starting points, our own zeroes. There are the hands that guide us to become greater-than versions of ourselves. We all can’t be the GOAT. There’s only one of those. Still, we can be the greatest that we can be. That’s always good enough. Amen.
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