From a tender boy that arrived at Barcelona at the age of 13 to the ferocious maestro at 30. The tiny lad from Rosario to the father of three. From Ronaldinho's apprentice to Dembélé's sensei. From a naïve twenty-two year old to an intimidating man covered in tattoos.
Messi's story and his evolution as a person is elegant, beautiful but above all, moving.
Watching him grow and bloom under Ronaldinho was delightful to watch for any culer. To be blown away by this lad week-in, week-out would invoke a variety of feelings in our hearts. Be it wonder, joy or curiosity. There was a constant eagerness to see more of him. Almost every single of us was certain that this very player was going to become the greatest there ever was and will be. However, not a single one of us had the slightest clue about the kind of person he would develop into. He was always mysterious in that way, being unpredictable in his movements. It's a part of his vey figure and stature. Nobody expects a lad as high as 5'8" to be the best footballer of all time, yet here he is. Not a single soul could be able to approve of his quality without watching him play. It's part of what makes him fascinating.
Messi was always dancing on the pitch—twisting and turning, pulling off outrageous nutmegs, scoring scintillating goals. It seemed as if he were a child and the football pitch was his favourite toy. The large crowds were merely there to adore the prodigy as he left them in awe. Had you told a person back in 2008 that Messi would go on to sport tattoos, take on the persona of a mature man, your words would be shaggged off as banter.
Yet, here he is. With the responsibility of both his club and country on his mighty shoulders, he's facing his obstacles head-on. Irrespective of just how talented a man is, one must wonder how he deals with such immense responsibility — the calls, aches and demands of the fans and the media.
"I got used to (the adulation). The key for me was to continue being myself. Be natural. You also have to be a little self-conscious at times because you have to know what you are doing because people are constantly filming you.", said Messi in a recent interview. "I don't have a psychologist. I always talk to the people closest to me- my wife, my father, my mother. You know, the people that have always been there for me."
In essence, Messi's tale depicts the responsibility one shoulders when confronted by his gifted self. To face several hurdles and dribbling past each of them like they were inanimate objects, and staying down to earth consequently requires a very special heart. Even more so, it shows just the kind of a person Messi is. He doesn't define people by ability. Perhaps because he has come to the realisation that a soul is not simply defined by a set of values, numbers and accomplishments. After all, at it's absolute core, life is but a continuum of events that may or may not overlap with each other, clouded by biased emotion and vague paraphernalia. Nothing more, nothing less.
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