Daunte and Gandhi

When Daunte Culpepper was released by the Miami Dolphins, he quoted Gandhi: "'As I was going through this process I heard about a quote by Gandhi that best expresses my thoughts about this victory: "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win,"' Culpepper, who serves as his own agent, said in an e-mail" (ESPN).

Naturally, bloggers wanted to make fun of him for comparing being released from a multi-million dollar contract to the struggles of a saintly activist who used passive resistance to strive for the independence of his nation.

But you know what? Good for Daunte.

You don't appreciate the education of a man that can pull out Gandhi? You don't appreciate somebody who can make a poetic, historical allusion to describe his feelings at a situation he's facing in his life?

When you face adversity, are you able to whip out Gandhi? Or Shakespeare? Or Jesus? Or Whitman? Are you able to find poetic words from great people in history to try and make sense of your own feelings, to try and convey to people the experience you are having?

If you are able to reference great historical figures as you face the struggles of your own life, you'll be better for it. You might make sense of your life. You might put your sufferings in context. You might have a fuller, deeper, stronger mind and heart to deal with your own adversity.

That's not worthy of mockery; that's worthy of admiration.