RODDY PIPER, BOOMER DAD

You Meet People In The Gym, People Like Roddy Piper

If you’re not in the celebrity stalking business, where do you meet them? You really don’t.

Roddy Piper was a gym rat at 24 Hour Fitness, working the cables and staying fit.

I met his son in the sauna, sweating it our before one of his MMA fights.

That’s right, Roddy Piper’s son also chews bubble gum and kicks ass. How cool is that?

He was shadow boxing in the sauna. I offered up hands like you see trainers do with fighters.

It was a Rocky moment and I was Mick. I held my hands up. Colt bobbed, weaved, then popped one of my hands.

Something didn’t go right. He hit my hand, my hand hit me in the face, and my head bounced off the sauna wall.

So much for my fighter training.

The next time I saw him in the sauna, Roddy Piper came in too. How often do you see legends on their days off?

You learn more about people when they’re in a quiet place. This father and son were tight. Their easy comfort in each others company was the stuff you hope for any dad and son.

For all the words of condolence for Roddy Piper, I have this to offer: Roddy Piper made me a better dad to my sons. Children reflect their parents. Seeing that father and son interact was like a parenting class.

Who would ever expect that gift?