TELL US A SOMETHING ABOUT YOU
I’m a huge fan of baseball, especially little league and high school baseball. There is just something about a little league or high school ball park. It feels so much different than a college or a minor or major league park. If you have ever played, coached or had kids on a team, then you understand what I mean. It is like visiting family you actually want to be around. (And you know what I mean. Everyone has the part of the family they want to be around and the part they would rather no one else know about.)
The exuberance of the players before a game. The chatter in the dugouts. The chewing gum and sesame seeds. The excitement of getting a hit or scoring a run. The smiles on the faces of the kids that win and the frowns on the ones who lose. More than that, it is the sense of community that comes with those small, atmospheric parks. Bonds are often formed that last for years and years and sometimes for a lifetime.
WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU, MR. BROWN...
Other than your family, what do you hold most dear to your heart and why?
God. I have a strong faith in God, and though I don’t talk about it, I try to show it. I am nothing without Him. I was given a gift and I try to use and enjoy it as much as possible. Many people will read this part and think, ‘Oh, a Jesus freak.’ Well, yes, but you will never hear me shove it down your throat. But if you want to talk about it, I will. I believe religion has gotten such a bad reputation because of the few that use only what can benefit them and prove their view points. I could go on and on about this, but I’m going to stop here.
What's the most difficult experience, physically or emotionally, you've ever endured?
Relationships are always difficult, but having someone cheat on you is heartbreaking. They are difficult to get over. It is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But then having two relationships end because of the other party having an affair…it was enough to make me question myself and whether I wanted to date again after the second one.
What are you obsessed with above all else?
University of Michigan sports. I have been a fan since I was a teenager, through the good and the bad times. And, yes, the good times are almost here again. Go BLUE!
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What do you consider one of your most defining qualities and name one significant way it has played out in your life?
Defining qualities: I’m a hard worker, to the point of ridiculousness. By being that way I try to help my co-workers to become better. It sets an example for them and sometimes it has an impact on them. It has always played out at every job I have ever had.
Interesting fact: on the first day of one job at a restaurant, one of my co-workers told me to, ‘Slow down, man. You’re making the rest of us look bad.”
YOU DID WHAT?
My mother told me this story:
When I was a kid I played in my room by myself a lot. One day my mom poked her head in the door. My back was to her. As she watched I stopped playing with the cars in front of me and looked up at the ceiling. Then I said, “I wonder how I can drive them crazy today.”