Dear Sports

This letter is to inform you, in whatever shape or form you find yourself....  It could be football.  Basketball.  Volleyball.  Softball.  Tennis.  Golf.  Soccer.  Hockey.  Baseball.  Lacrosse.  Ping Pong. Racing.  Pickle Ball, or even a rousing game of Croquet, that we need to have a serious conversation.  

First, I suppose, I should tell you a little bit about myself.  I am most definitely not your enemy, adversary or even anyone you would need to worry about.  In fact, when it comes to sports, I have little interest.  Why that is, is still a mystery, as I came from and am surrounded by, a very sports minded family.  It would be safe to say that playing fetch with Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, is about as sportsy as I get.  So, just to be clear, you have no threat from me and certainly no competition.  

I would like to explain something to you that I feel you have forgotten.  Something that should be at the very heart of your existence.  Indeed, without it, you would most likely cease to be.  That 'something' is the people.  All the people who flock to you.  These people come to you for a variety of reasons.  Some folks just need to be entertained.  Some come for the love of whatever form tends to be their favorite.  To others, competition is the name of the game, regardless the form.  To many, your are a bastion of comradery.  A place where like minded individuals gather together and for a moment in time, the game is all that matters.  During these times, memories are made, friendships are bonded and skills are improved.  

Sports, you are also a safe haven for many.  Some young people would have had a much tougher time in life, had it not been for you.  Sometimes the mere mention of an upcoming game can be the difference between a passing grade on a classroom assignment, or a failing grade for someone who had nothing to look forward to.  You have helped people to understand the "thrill of the victory and the agony of defeat".  Yes, unfortunately, there are those who never quite grasped the meaning of that phrase, their entire life, but for others, it was their turning point.  It showed them they could get up, brush the dust off, realize the world did not end and practice makes perfect.  You have taught people discipline that will last them a lifetime.  See, Sports, even though I don't have a lot of interest in you, millions of others do.  They need you.  To many, you are a beacon in the storm.

The storm is why I'm writing to you.  Times are crazy right now.  Folks are confused, scared, angry and sad, all at the same time.  They need an outlet.  An outlet that you provide, if only for a little while, that takes their minds off the troubles of our times.  With that said, Sports, this is my message for you.  Stay. Out. Of. Politics. And all the screwed up messages they blab all the time.  You are not part of it, so leave it be.  Stick to what you are good at.  If you have forgotten what you are good at, please refer to the first paragraph.  You should be able to find yourself in the list. 

Sincerely,

One who is not sports minded, but loves a lot of folks who are.

Autumn

 It was a perfect autumn day.  Typical of the Midwest, even for mid October.  The sun was shining and a slight breeze came in from the south west.  The temperature had been reaching into the low 80's for a couple of days, but that was not totally unusual. The colors, though not quite at their peak, were amazing.  Deep burgundy, bright crisp orange and a yellow that seemed to glow when the rays of the sun kissed them, ever so lightly.  Even the white pine, towering at nearly 90 feet, was full of yellow needles.  A thought passed through quietly, was that normal, for the pine and would they all fall off at the same time.

The leaves were falling too.  Lots of leaves.  The circle, inside of the driveway, where 14 trees of varying species have staked their claim, was ankle deep in leaves.  The goal was to get all those leaves into a pile, on the circle drive.  The procedure would be simple.  Simply start in the middle and work to the outer edge.  It went like clock work.  Thirty minutes later, the driveway had a full circle of leaves.  Ah, the magic of a gas powered leaf blower.

The rest of the yard waited its turn.  The 14 trees were not alone, another 46 stood, like gentle giants, throughout the yard.  The ones next to the road were kind.  Most of their leaves blew down the road or across the small gully into the woodlands.  But, the remaining trees were doing their best to keep up with the ones inside of the circle.  They stand protected from the wind, as they are surrounded by their many relatives that make up the border of the yard.  Most of their leaves fall directly under their assigned tree.  With the power of artificial wind, they joined their family in the forest.

The best of the day was nearing.  The time of the long shadows and encroaching darkness.  The culmination of the original plan.  It was time to start.  Perhaps it would turn into a yearly ritual.  It had to be done in darkness.  Darkness was the only time the wind was still.  The lighting of the 'Ring Of Fire' commenced.  It did not disappoint.  The glow lit up the neighbors' garage like a Jack O' Lantern on steroids.  Lucky for them, they had been told of the plan.  The circle of fire was perfect.  Something about it was, oh, so satisfying.  Mother would be proud, she loved to burn things.  On occasion, some things burned that were not part of her plan.  Yes.  Lois would approve of the 'Ring Of Fire'.

As quickly as it had happened, it was over.  Only a few embers remained.  A quick swirl with a rake, a real rake with a wooden handle, took care of the embers' glow and the first ceremony had come to an end.  Perfect ending to a perfect day.

The next day, the weather took a turn.  Just as typical of the Midwest.  Rain brewed in from the west.  As quickly as that happened, the wind shifted and with a fury, blew in from the north.  It was raining.  Raining leaves.  Again.  Yes, all the needles fell off at one time.  The white pine is once again green.

Bits & Pieces

 Soft elevator music plays in the background.  My husband is on hold with a government entity.  The wait time is nearly an hour......the music is bad.  Technology keeps taking us to new levels of not having to speak face to face, or ear to ear in this particular scenario, with another human being.  All this pain and agony, just to get a new driver's license.  Unfortunately, this battle may be a long one.  Word to the wise:  Never change the information on above mentioned document.....especially ones' weight.

Being thankful for everything that happens in a person's life is a hard pill to swallow.  Humans like to blame someone else for their misery.  Maybe that is what separates us from the divine.  It would be a charmed life to have never made any bad decisions, but perhaps a bit boring.  That comes from someone who has rarely been inside of the box, or lines.  There are surely many people who have made right decisions, for themselves and are perfectly content with the results of those actions.  One thing for sure though, if there have been consequences for the wrong decisions and a person learned from those consequences, the knowledge and wisdom gained is priceless.  In that respect, being thankful for all the things that have happened is another way to look at how all those choices have brought us to this point in time.

Speaking of time.  How much is left.  According to one of the Psalms, our days are numbered.  Let's say we all have 100 years to be here on the spinning rock.  The next time an argument arises, about anything under the sun, ask if in 100 years, will anyone care?  It gives another perspective, or angle, to visually see if the argument is worth the precious time we've been allotted.  It is easy to lose track of time.  Some people are way past the half way point.  Have they accomplished the things they wanted to achieve in this lifetime?  If not, it might be time to not worry about what someone else thinks and follow ones' heart.  We spend the first quarter, or so, of our lives, wanting to be older and the rest wishing we were not. Living in the "now" would be a good rule to follow, because it's actually the only time we have.  The bad music is still playing in the background.  Probably not a good time to bring up 'living in the moment'.

Back to consequences.  Recently, a parent made the statement that they had rewarded their child for causing their neighbors grief, defacing public property and disagreeing with their, the neighbors', choice of politics.  Having no respect for that pesky first amendment, which entitles folks to their own opinion, without retaliation, as long as they are not axe murderers and such, is an odd way to raise a child.  Usually does not end well.

After being their own boss for years, someone went back to work.  There was a reason for doing so that had nothing to do with money. They simply wanted to manage their time better (there's that time thing again) and figured with someone else managing part their time, they would get more accomplished.  They chose an occupation of their youth.  Something they had enjoyed, perhaps more than any other.  Youth is the key word.  They applied and got the job of working in a fast pace bar & grill kitchen.  The owners asked if this person had been drinking, while making the decision to apply for the position.  The person had not.....but perhaps the person should have been.

Leaves are falling.  Another season coming to fruition, while the last one wanes.  Long shadows and darkness lie ahead.  Still the same 24 hours in a day, but darkness is always a good excuse to turn in early.  Like a bear, during the winter.  The clock is still ticking......closer to 100.  

The music stopped, the information received took about 1 minute.  What a waste.  55 minutes that he will never get back.