It Is What It Is! Ha Ha!

“The days are long, and the years are short,” I don’t know who to attribute it to and it really isn’t important for this. Some people will say they had an incredible year and, yet a larger group will state that they cannot wait for the new year because it must be better than what they were presented with this year. Maybe they just needed longer days and a bit longer year. I jest, but really, is a calendar date going to magically create a clean slate and a perfect potion for your new year? Poof, it is day one so all that bad shit you did, happened to you, was caused by you is released and you can be perfect now. How incredibly naïve a thought process this is. The funny thing is millions will feel that way Monday morning, maybe Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning, and at the first sign on their yearly normal they will denounce that this is exactly like the last year. No kidding, all that grandiose joy and betterment doesn’t happen because the hour of programming is over, you actually have to work for it.

Some of us want more money, less weight, better relationships, increased productivity, better health, etc., etc., and on and on. I love all that stuff. I spent twelve years watching athletes say they wanted something more than they had and I watched the select few go do the work to make it happen. There was nothing wrong with the guys that didn’t do the work. They were awesome guys who I loved like my own kid. They stated something that they truly didn’t believe, something they thought I or others wanted to hear, or a dream that truly didn’t have a plan. Hard work is hard and most of us feel we work hard most of the time. Why in the world would we want to work harder to try something and still have the possibility that it won’t work? That is the rub. Why attempt to better an aspect of our lives, go through the necessary changes, the pain, the ridicule, and fail? I cannot answer that question. I have been on both sides. I have attempted something large, put in significant effort and failed and I have also been content fibbing to myself about what I want and putting no effort in at all.

As the words land on this page I find myself becoming more pissed with every keystroke. I used to sit in my office at Florida Southern and grill my guys on their future. We delved deep. What did they want from tennis, classes, education, career, and beyond. I prodded, poked, and at times almost harassed them to want more. I sat there and demanded excellence and then stayed mediocre in my own existence. They are all doing great. I begged them to chase their dreams and not worry if they changed mid-course. Many have done just that. Finally, I took my own advice and jumped from the comfortable perch. Crash! Like the bird that left the nest too soon I find myself flailing around. Occasionally I get a little air, but it hurts to crash so frequently. There is pain either way. Through progress there is pain and through staying put there is pain. If the bird doesn’t eventually fight through the pain of bouncing off the ground, he becomes a meal. The same fate falls to us if we let it. We bounce off the concrete of our troubles, our laziness, our ineptness, and we believe it is our fate. We become tired and flap violently but never move. If we give in, we can survive for a bit by just walking around. Eventually, the world swallows us up and we go back to what we know. Bitterness, disbelief that anything can change, and the best phrase: “that’s just how it is.”

Fight, dammit, fight. It is hard. It isn’t always fun. Your “friends” will cheer you to a point but really don’t want you to get better because you will exit the nest if you succeed. All this is true, but if your goal is truly something you want, your why is unwavering, and you know that you will be better for it once you have reached it; you must fight for it. Through the struggles, the missed moments (yes, you will miss moments), the naysayers, and whatever else is thrown your way if your why can sustain you there will be a chance you succeed. What, there is only a chance? Yep, and that is why most of us don’t try. Why would I put myself out there if I don’t know 100% that it will work? The best answer I ever came up with when discussing this with the players was this: You will be better than you were, and you can always regroup, re-strategize, and reestablish your goal with a different plan. It kind of sucks but that is the best. Was it Yoda who said, “Do or don’t do there is no try.”? That is so true, because we are going to succeed or fail. Oh shoot, I said that word, fail. Get over it. Fail, fail, fail, and keep failing. All that means is that you are doing. You cannot fail if you don’t do. You also cannot succeed.

If you are happy with it all keep plugging away. If there is an aspect that you want to change, do it. Heck, don’t wait until the champagne, hangover, hog jowls, black-eyed peas, and collard greens. Do it now. Impossible right! I guess that depends on your why. Have a great 2018 and go out and fail. You’ll be better than you were and that will be awesome to see on social media for the rest of us.

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Home for the Holidays

Oh, the Holidays are in full swing. Meals, gifts, late nights, meals, parties, a few drinks, and family. We are fortunate to live near a majority of our family and have the opportunity to see all of them multiple times a year. Still, the holidays get us all together over a few days span to laugh, eat, play, and even disagree about things. We have old, middle-aged, teens, and young’uns. Like a lot of families, we have lost a few key members and there will always be a large void that cannot be replaced. However, we continue with traditions and festivities because none of them would want it any other way. Our family is awesome, diverse, strange, funny, habitual, and like your own family, the best there is.

The group that gets to see each other regularly include Michelle, Brianna, Mom, Dad, Stella, Ken, Ruthie, GGMa, Nanny, Michelle Y, Michael, Stephanie, Tim, Tyler, McKenzie, MJ, Timmy, Addison, and Donna. This group of people are my friends, mentors, drinking partners, and full on entertainment. Each of them possess skills, passion, and love that they share in varying degrees to each of the others in the group. Between two houses about four miles apart from one another, I get the chance to socialize, pontificate, and laugh with all of them. Some prepare fantastic food, others tell delightful stories, and some just straight up make me laugh. The little ones are fun to watch grow, play, and become mesmerized with the next gift or game. Heck, sometimes they become enthralled with nothing in particular and that is even more entertaining. We can be a formal bunch but not when we are all together. It’s shorts and t-shirts and you better get your athletic shoes out because the football will be flying. Each person wants to chat, even if they are staring intently on their blue screen of life.

This group that I proudly call my family consists of current teachers, former teachers, retirees, entrepreneurs, high up managers, protectors of citizens, students, widowers, athletes, has been athletes, and want to be athletes. We love, we share, we fight, but we are always family. Since we get to see each other more frequently than the average family you would think it would be boring to get together as a unit. Actually, it is far from it. Whether it is a malfunctioning television, a collision on the field of play, bad Wi-Fi, or a disagreement about how a game is played we are still family. The collision and disagreement aren’t always synonymous with the little ones. The big kids are good at this one as well. We are a tight bunch but another cool part of being in this family is that we love bringing others who don’t share our blood into the mix. They get treated just like we treat others and if you can hang, you are welcome to stay.

Christmas is an all-day affair for this group I love with every fiber of my being. We start at our house with Michelle preparing our traditional breakfast feast. We don’t start until about 8:00 now that Brianna is older. If you have little ones, hang in there, they will age out of 5:45 stocking calls. After a wonderful time opening gifts and eating we do a quick clean up and then pack it up to move the circus to my Dad and Stella’s house. This is the second half of the day. There are always brunch items to snack on and the shenanigans begin anew with the rest of the crew. We watch as the wee one’s devour their stockings and wait impatiently for the gifts to be handed out. Tyler is the lead elf and over the past couple of years, MJ has availed himself as quite the helper elf. Packages fly around the living room like an Amazon warehouse. There are timeouts called, sorry, once a coach always a coach, so that paper and gifts on the floor don’t become one. It seems like it will never end, but then, poof, and it is over. A quick trip home to alleviate the mess that has been left and it is immediately back for the remaining festivities. There are boat rides, football of varying degrees, new toys to play with, conversations to be had, some are deeper than others, and for Dad it may mean a nap or two. A second delicious meal is served, and if there is time after there might be more outside activities.

After such an exhilarating day you would think this would be a great conclusion. Oh, how wrong you would be. For years this just meant that it was time for the Nerf wars to begin. However, this year we had game night. Young, old, and in-between commenced to battling it out for some long hours. I almost forgot, the sangria was also flowing with a smoothness that made the evening even longer. At the conclusion of the battle, the victor staggered to his feet proclaiming his effort. I hate losing, but the battle was fair, incredibly fun, and just awesome to see so many of us having fun around a table with no phones to interfere. My little brother, Tyler, defeated all his older siblings, their better halves, and even two of their kids. It was time to call it a night, even though it was early into the next day. At 12:45 I put my head on my pillow, kissed my wife good night, and slept quickly thinking about how lucky I am to have the family I have.

Many times during the year I get to see them, sit and talk with them, but rarely do I get to enjoy them just as great friends. I love each of them, even when they may be hard to love. I think they probably feel the same way because I know, with my comments, that I am often hard to love. Time will pass, we will have to adjust seating again and again, but the family will continue to move forward with passion, grace, and the desire to love fully. Thank you all for your love and thank you for making every holiday we spend as a family unit one that I will always cherish. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the crew that keeps me honest, smiling, and wanting more from life. Let’s do it again and keep chasing the dreams. Don’t let them go!

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Flashback Because of the Little g in a Circle

It is funny what can bring back memories. Today, I had one of those experiences while doing a quick pit stop in Walmart with Michelle. We were doing an emergency purchase of phone cases since our hi-tech cases have caused our phones to not work properly. We just needed to get two cheapy cases and a couple pieces of protective film and be on our way. Then it happened: the moment my cheap trip became a bit more expensive. We were scouring the racks for plastic protection for our gadgets that were pricier than my first Tag Heuer. It is funny how times have changed. Especially since the piece that took me back was before that phone was even thought about.

They say you should not look back unless it is to see how far you’ve gone. Well, today I looked back to 1989 through 1993. It wasn’t on purpose. I really was focused on the task of bubble wrapping my phone for future use. I first caught a glimpse as I shifted from the middle bins of $4.88 generic phone cases. There were glitter ones, glitter ones, a few with stripes, a few solid colors, and some more glitter ones. I do appreciate my softer side, but I will not let it out that far that I am willing to carry a glitter phone case. Maybe I will rethink that; could be quite the conversation piece when meeting a customer. Nah, we will let that go. Okay, so as I was heading to the iPhone section of Walmart I popped my head up and there it was in its large grey box. The lower-case g in the circle caught my eye. The Anthology of Garth Brooks was on sale in Walmart. Geekdom kicked in.

After the first glance, I continued on my task and thought “I don’t need this. I don’t even really listen to iTunes much anymore.” I finally found my cheap ass case. A flat black, safe for 3-foot falls, and that was about it. Michelle was a little more diligent in her search, so I was drifting off and started thinking about all the songs that I haven’t heard in a long time. Easing back over to the end cap I found myself staring at the box. Oops, I made the fatal error and picked it up. I turned it over and started reading what was available. Five CD’s, a large hard backed book that chronicles his rise from 1985-1995 and all that music. I put it back down and wandered over to the center rack just to make sure I had chosen the best option. After a few minutes, Michelle glided by because she just couldn’t find a case that fit her immediate needs and had gotten frustrated and pulled up Amazon to see if there was anything she could get in pronto. As she sauntered over to the center rack I eased back to that damned end cap.

Yes, I picked it up again, spun it around, looked at the contents, and…...put it in the basket. I was going to reacquaint myself with the music of Garth Brooks. I had every CD before, even burned them onto my iTunes, but somewhere along the line they disappeared. The CD’s are gone as well. Michelle and I spoke about the music as we were finishing our search for these damned elusive, cheap cases and finally finished up that process. As I strolled towards the checkout I thought about my next few hours jamming to Garth while driving around delivering goodies for Christmas to our tenants. After a smooth, I know, a rare treat, checkout we headed to the truck to begin the reminiscing process. Open the package, slide the book out from the protector, and the phone rang. Business had stopped the going back process.

We pushed forward on deliveries and talked about things that needed to get done today, tomorrow, and this weekend. The moment had passed, just like all those years so long ago, and we were very much in the present. Really, I just liked his music. I cannot remember any important things that happened that would make me want to never forget his music. It was just good. It had some great messages, good instruments, and when there were still videos I loved watching them. There wasn’t a great love, accomplishment, or other life changing event. Just good music to me.

The flashback finally did happen around 5:15 this evening. Once we left the office we slid the first CD in the player, yes, our truck still has a CD player, and let it rip. I started singing from the first song and Michelle just stared. I looked in amazement that she didn’t know this song. She kindly reminded me that she was nine when this came out and not only did that make me realize how old this music was it also reminded me how cool my wife is that she took a chance on her old man boyfriend. During the first year I was in my senior year of high school. That sounds terrible if you say it slow but when you look forward, as we all should, it isn’t so bad. If Tomorrow Never Comes came on and she new that one. Sang every word right along with me. After some quick work at the barn we finished the first year with the classic, The Dance. Not only did Michelle sing that one but Brianna joined us as well.

We should continually move forward as we move towards our goals. We get new houses, cars, friends, dreams, and even tastes. The one thing I have a challenging time completely moving forward with is my music. The other day I was listening to a song that is almost 50 years old and it still sounds good today. Music played such a big part in so many of our lives that it is almost impossible to stay in the present with that one. Keep moving forward but let your music move you that way.

Oh yeah, if and when The Anthology Part II comes out I will head back into the belly of the beast, Walmart, and purchase it as well.

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Good or Bad -- Interesting and Amazing

Where do we go from here? That question gets asked in many forms every day. We lose a loved one or a large sales account. We lose our first love or maybe the job we thought we couldn’t live without. Sometimes, it may be a positive question. How about hitting a large goal and wondering what to aim for next? I love phrases or words that when spoken can mean so many different things to a vast amount of people.

Many years ago, I had a friend who was a great tennis player. He was an even better person and quite the proficient salesman. One day, we were out together working on a few business dealings and he told me something that I have held on to for all the years that have followed. When in doubt, when you cannot find words to politely describe something you can never go wrong with “that was amazing,” or “that is interesting.” Think about it. We instinctively become disarmed when someone tells us that something we have poured our hearts into is amazing. We all want to be interesting. It is skillful to praise someone for their effort without personally enjoying what they deliver. Is it hurtful to let them think it is good? Actually, does it really matter if you don’t like it as long as they are satisfied with the product they have delivered? Yes, sometimes it matters when it comes to business dealings but in day to day life be polite and leave them with a smile.

So now I go back to the original question I posed in the first line: Where do we go from here? The negative tone that question has can be changed. It is up to us. If the answer is a negative start there and move up. Look at yourself each day and ask the same question. Did you answer it in the positive today? What about the day before? After a few days momentum begins, and the goals become bigger. There was a time in my life I was a highly fit, competitive, and eager athlete. Let’s just say that I am not that person as I sit here and write this. I can be honest and say that I have asked myself this question repeatedly. Some days I get a complimentary review but a majority of the time it is disappointing. A couple of weeks ago I walked a 5k. The excuse for walking was to hang with my dad since he came out. That was a reason, and a great one but the real reason I walked was because I can no longer run 3.1 miles. That is sad, humiliating, and a touch depressing. Where do I go from here? Easy, I start jogging some while continuing the walking. Add more jogging and maybe a bit of running. Run 3.1 miles and see where that takes me.

This is so simple to achieve. It is also easy not to achieve as well. Where do we go from here? When you wake up tomorrow you get to decide. I hope your choice is the one you want. You never know what interesting and amazing things are out there.

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Keep Your Time or Share it Wisely

As I was out with my wife today, playing Santa’s elves, delivering items to tenants while taking pictures of the properties I had a thought about direction and logistics. We had the addresses, a GPS, and a promising idea at the order we needed to go in to make it as smooth as possible. Time, that precious commodity that is the great equalizer was our ruler. How quickly could we accomplish the task so that we could move to the next goal of the day? This was our intention and our number one goal as the engine cranked and we headed to the first house.

When I am out in the truck I really enjoy listening to podcasts about a wide range of topics. Michelle and I will discuss the episode, the car beside us, the building going up, and for sure what is for lunch as that time approaches. We hit the first batch of houses contemplating some realty items, checking out house colors, and looking at Christmas decorations along the way. Time marched on and at this point it was on our side. As we moved to the next area of concentration a couple of scheduled side stops fit in our logistics model perfectly. By now we were listening to a podcast about the latest news in IndyCar. The guest was riveting, the conversation lively, and Michelle and I soaked it in like the warm rays through the windshield.

After another stop along the way it was time to eat lunch. After a typical husband and wife discussion the choice was made and time marched on. We felt like we were making great progress towards completion of another successful day. The clock doesn’t care about traffic, construction, little ladies walking groceries across the street, or business lines. As we aimed the truck towards the heart of downtown Winter Haven the progress slowed just a bit. Wow, what that town has become since I was a kid hauling ass around the streets, first on my bicycle, then as a stupid high schooler with my best friend. Sorry, I digress. The city appears to be going through a continual rebirth and construction and traffic issues are the main by-product. Although this was a minor glitch in our grand plan, the elves charged on from house to house. Pictures were taken, and goodies were received with smiles and hugs. It is nice when tenants are happy.

Have you ever been running and hit a wall? Have you ever needed to turn left but could only go right? The adage of my old fire chief was the fall isn’t what hurts, it’s the sudden stop at the end. Progress is amazing, but the ability to pivot when necessary is also a blessing. We had just delivered to one house and were rounding the corner for another when our day took a right instead of a left and we just stopped suddenly. The phone call was important and directive. The candy was put away, so were the smiles, and support became the objective. It is funny how crucial time is to you when you have something important to do. Well, it is important to you. The schedule was put aside, and others became the focus. Before I move further, all is okay, and we are all going to have more time.

We shifted our path and headed the opposite direction we were intending. Time was still moving and for those involved it was moving quicker. It doesn’t, but we cannot process the data streaming through our conscious quickly enough to slow it down. Processes become regimented, focused, and completely goal oriented. Wait, that is how my day started but this wasn’t for us, this was for someone else. My time was to be shared with someone else. They needed it more than I did. I needed to get to them so that they could utilize my time the best way they saw fit because their time was going too quickly.

Destinations are funny. We all have them. Some we want to get to, others the trip is the fun part, but then there are times when the trip and the destination isn’t that much fun. It is not until you arrive and look inside the destination that you find out if the trip was good or bad. This trip was good. I mean, it was terrible, but it was good in the end. Getting to support someone else during their trip, aiding in their comfort, and easing burdens was simply our destination. A smile and common face made the trip worthwhile. The time can never be replaced, and let me tell you, I cherish my time, but I am honored that I was asked to give up my time so that someone else could utilize it today.

Tomorrow is another day and my time will start over. I am excited that I get to use part of that time to get my daughter to another barn so that she can continue to chase her dream that she so diligently pursues. I also get to watch one of my former players achieve his goal of walking across the stage to accept his diploma. The journey was not smooth, the sacrifices were many for a lot of people involved in his life, and I know that he will continue to pursue his greatness. Time was not our friend while we were together, the clock ran out before the ultimate goal was achieved but we both have pivoted to the next chapter to try again. As the hours pass and the days become nights the contemplation of achievement is inevitable. How many of us really appreciate the time we have, maximize the use, and truly enjoy the moments we get?

Time doesn’t care about what you want. It continues to tick away, and it is up to us how we use it. We control our time and we also control who we want to share our time with. Pick wisely, some people will accept it with gratitude, but others will steal your time for themselves. Enjoy your weekend and the time it allows you use.

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How Did You See Your Day?

Man, the weather currently is amazing. Cool in the late evening and early mornings, or cold if that’s your perspective, and just gorgeous in the afternoons. From what I have seen we could get the opportunity to enjoy this for a bit longer which is nice as we approach deep into the holiday season. It is time for bowl games, college and pro basketball, parades, and lots of food. This weather makes it appear more like winter than late summer. I have just written a positive thought about my perception of the weather around me and what it makes me think of when it this way. There is another group that will tell me I am crazy because it is too cold, too sunny, and will find something to fuss about with regards to the events that feel wintery.

There isn’t much going on tonight inside my brain. Well, that’s a lie, there is a lot running around but the pounding of my sinuses, constant blowing of the nose, and overall lethargy from a slight cold his sidelined though thoughts. It’s okay though because I am just plodding through letting it run its course. I still got up early to stay consistent but instead of going through the morning routine I took a little nap to get a little more rest. I cannot remember the last time I had a cold and I cannot remember a time I didn’t feel like doing anything. That thought led me down the path of others sharing their maladies. Even though I feel rough, there is one group that will say men can’t handle being sick, I still will just get done what needs to be done. When I scroll through the plethora of social media channels and speak to people I interact with daily, I feel quite fortunate to be able to get through my life with so few problems. As much as I am entertained, I ache, well not really, for the people that seem to have non-stop sickness, personal strife, and a series of drama-laden television shows that are happening in real life.

It is funny, if you see things good for the most part people will tell you that you have a mind like Pollyanna. I truly disagree. There are days that I am pissed, pained, and just generally not in a good mood. The difference is, I still can see the beauty in a sunrise or sunset, can hold the door for the next patron at Subway, speak to people in a manner that is respectful, and just ignore the dipshits that dot the landscape. Over the past few weeks we have had a rash of shootings in our area. There has also been a rapid uptick in the use of horns by over zealous drivers. Why, what is the issue? What happened to a good old fist fight, a flick of the finger, or a Polk County cuss out berating? Does the horn really get it done? Are you really in that big of a hurry? The social media, instant media, always on platforms we are now accustomed to have made us think that everyone wants to hear about are woes.

My wife tells me that I am evil because I enjoy the social media circus. Our President pokes the bear daily and the people go crazy. If you watch one network or follow a particular person on social media, you lean one way and can never see the other side from the opposing channel or a different personality. First, when did television channels become one sided? I thought news was news. My naivety is coming out. What is wrong with an opposing view? We used to disagree with people but that was it. We disagreed. We didn’t belittle them, vilify them, or try to dismantle their lives. The same thing happens on social media. Instead of just ignoring people we disagree with on social media we engage them, try to destroy them, and find joy in attempting to humiliate them. Maybe, we should try to ignore them again. If we look at what gets media attention the same tactic would work as well. Why do certain news items get traction and then get their own cycle until the next grandiose thing comes along? I don’t want to go that direction but think about the past year and what has garnered the media spotlight. Why did it get the spotlight and then what took it off? It was the next story, then the next, and next. Some of these big stories grab our attention and really don’t affect 2% of the population, heck that maybe generous. If we did the same thing with the sad sap storytellers on social media, they might lose their platforms as well. Don’t engage and don’t feel sorry for them. Do this instead. Tell them something positive.

Oops, there goes that Pollyanna again. It was a beautiful day today but there is a group of people that will complain because it was a bit too breezy. Dammit, it was too breezy, so I couldn’t fly my drone but instead of fussing about it I took a nap and packed up goody bags for Full Service. It’s getting cold so I’ve got to go out to the barn and blanket the horses but that is not a bad trade off since Brianna is editing my video for me. Dang kids these days. Three negative statements that all have a positive thought attached to them. Enjoy your night, or don’t, it will pass in a few hours anyway.

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Yes, I Wrote About my iRobot Roomba

What a cool experience this morning! Watching the dream become a reality was cool. Yes, it was rainy, cold, and breezy but people showed up and ran or walked the 5k in the Inaugural Shop with a Cop 5k Run. It was fun to walk with my brother, his girlfriend Christa, Dad, and a nice lady that was smoking us before the hills got to her. She had just had hip replacement surgery and was still walking faster than we were for the first mile and a half. This was her training walk before her 10k in January. It was great to see the Yodonis’ family effort pay off with an excellent group of people.

After the “race” we went and had a great breakfast to restore all those calories we lost on our excruciating exercise so early in the morning. That’s where the excitement ended and the idea for tonight’s blog started. You know the expression, “Watching paint dry”, well I did that today but with my iRobot Roomba. I got enthralled and realized that this silly robot that cleans my floors daily attacks the house much like I and others have attacked are own lives.

There was the noise signaling the beginning of the journey. Loud, fierce, and quick to begin. A quick change of direction and off it went. Sound familiar? We are determined we are going to do something and we have an initial burst of energy. After a couple of minutes, it was banging off the wall and spinning around the living room. Then, suddenly there was an alert. “Please spin the side wheels to adjust.” I did the mandated fix and off Roomba went again. Just like our own lives. We bounce around trying to find direction and then there are problems. We either stop or we get them fixed and move on. Roomba continued to work around but I noticed some other things that just reminded me that I have often looked like this silly robot.

After about 35 minutes it appeared it was cleaning in the same area over and over. Comfort in surroundings or loss of direction. This resonated with me in the terms of how we attack some of the things we say we want. We get comfortable doing the same thing over and over but not really knowing if it is moving us towards completion of our ultimate goal. We stay in a little corner of comfort and at times we try to get out, but we bump up against something and get turned back around. There are times we even get out of the spot only to be brought right back in by one wrong turn. Roomba seems to do this repetitively. I watched as the robot would attempt to leave the office area, bounce off something, and then, turn right around and head back into the corner of the little room.

After an hour, most of the house was clean and the small light of energy was showing it was time to start looking for home. There are times in our own lives that we are so close to completing the task, but we still must have enough energy to complete the goal. We wear ourselves down, bouncing off our proverbial walls, aiming to get to the finish line for that particular goal. As I watched Roomba attempt to get over the final carpet I found myself cheering for it to end. The excitement was welling up inside like it was my own goal. Then, it bounced off the carpet and turned around heading back towards the family room. All the way back to the family room and a few more bounces the damn thing was back in the office. Why not just go home, get your goal, and feed yourself the energy you need for the next task?

With the energy light brightly on red, the dock light flashing, and myself losing patience with this little time killing journey I started taking odds that Roomba was just going to die right here on the family room floor. It wouldn’t be the first time a goal went uncompleted. We all have those dreams and goals that fall short. Whether we lose our way, hit the wrong wall, take a different direction, or just like where we are there are times it just doesn’t work out. As I pondered the likely conclusion of a dead battery, cleaning out the pod, cleaning out the brushes, and then cussing Roomba for not getting the job done, the darned thing hit a wall, turned toward the kitchen, and aimed for the living room. Within two minutes the little vacuum that could was headed towards home base. Like many of the journeys we take throughout life, there are times it appears there is no hope and we are just going to fall a bit short, and then we make one move a bit more to the right or left and the direction becomes perfect. Roomba crawled closer and closer to the base sizing up the finish line and the energy it sorely needed. Just as it was about to hit home and achieve the goal it was stuck. Yes, it had made it to the finish line but couldn’t cross it. Sound familiar to life at all? After watching for about 30 seconds, probably more like about 5 seconds, I tapped it with my foot, and bingo, it was home. Completion, success, cheering all around. Just like us, we get so close but even when we can see the finish line we might need a bit more encouragement to finish what we started.

Yes, I wasted a lot of time watching a stupid robot clean my floors. Or did I? Seeing a goal achieved through progress made turn by turn and through a little bit of assistance by others is how we do things in our own lives. It really is funny though; this little robot runs around my house cleaning the floor, so I don’t have to, and I still judged how it was doing its job. So judgmental and it wasn’t even my battle. We need to fight our battles to completion, hit our obstacles head on, bounce off and readjust, and at times get a little assistance. The same people who are saying we can’t get it done will be the same people that cheer when the job get done. Do it your way but let people assist if they are willing.

Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash
Photo by Talgat Baizrahmanov on Unsplash
Photo by pan xiaozhen on Unsplash

Dancing in the Rain

It appears we are in for a change of weather over the next few days. It is almost winter, so a bit of a cool spell isn’t a terrible thing. I am positive that I am ready for a change in seasons. We do live in Florida and are spoiled by splendid falls and winters, but it is nice to have a cool spell to give us a bit of a break from our normal. The whole point of that is if you really listen to people they are positive in their thoughts.

People will tell you to surround yourself with positive people, think positive thoughts, and to be the positive that others see. This has been construed to be positive. You know, in the sense of happy, joy, nice, and the other words that are to bring a smile to your face. There is an amazing peace when a person can make something that appears to be so negative seem like there is a silver lining of joy attached to it. We search for the rainbow during the storm, we search for the positive story during an hour of news, and we love watching the powerful fall then giving them a second chance after atonement. We love the underdog, the underserved, and the underprivileged. We are positive about that and we share it with anyone that will listen.

Why does the positive have to be good to be positive? It is positively going to rain, be miserable, and cold. I am positive about that. Guess what, it’s okay. It will pass. Positive can be a noun or an adjective. If it is good it is positive but if we know it exists, then it is also positive. When the rain occurs, we can be positive that it is happening, or we can positive that it will end. Why do we begrudge something that will end? We allow the negative to persist and fail to see the positive. Yes, sometimes it rains too much. Hell, sometimes you eat too much but you don’t stop living your life. Why do we see the negative in one thing but easily see the positive in others?

Being positive doesn’t necessarily mean sunshine and rainbows. Sorry, I stole that from Rocky. I am positive that I hate people that want to do dreadful things. I am positive that there are things I want to do. The cool thing about that is that by being positive I want to do them, when I do them they make me positive. Follow along, it really isn’t that complicated. I am positive that there are times I do things that I hate doing. The opposing side of that is that by doing those things I make other people feel positive about me. See, being positive doesn’t mean I am always happy. When the alarm goes off at 4:45am so that I can journal my calendar, read my book, do my yoga, and go feed the horses, I am positive that I would rather sleep until 7am. However, the positive feeling I get from accomplishing those things for myself, well, minus the horse feeding, makes my day start on an accomplished positive.

Positivity is feeling good about things as they happen to you or being able to find the good in an event. Being positive is understanding what you are doing and the consequences for the actions. My nephew had an idea for helping an organization with it’s Christmas goals. He created a 5k and decided that he would donate the proceeds to the Shop with a Cop program in Lake Wales. He was positive it would be a great project. Through frustration, determination, and challenging work he and his family have pulled it off. His positivity created an event that is going to happen this weekend. I am going to participate in this event. I am positive that I am going to suck and that it is going to be cold. My excitement is that I am going to get to see this kid’s dream become a reality. As slow and as cold as I am going to be I am positive that there is no other place I could see myself on Saturday morning. Sure, I am doing something good for my health by exercising, I am pushing myself through uncomfortable elements, and I will watch others do the same. We could bitch and moan about the weather, the course, or a million other things but we all had the same thought; by doing this we will be helping others and maybe they too will be able to have a more positive experience.

One last thing, the Florida Southern women’s volleyball program is playing in the national tournament tomorrow in Pensacola. Go to www.fscmoc.com and check them out. They have had an incredibly positive season and could use some positive vibes in their next step.

JULIAN ALEXANDER
Mohammad Metri

Living Life with a Full Heartt -- Greg Heartt a Former Player at FSC

Being a native Floridian, we enjoy our warm weather, beaches, and predominantly blue skies. All that is great, but the weather the past few weeks has been splendid. Lows in the upper 50’s and highs in the low 80’s. It really is quite nice. We are in for a bit of a cold snap later this week, but that too is a pleasant change. Weather and training go hand in hand. The long bike rides, swimming in the open pool or seas that surround us, multiple hours on a tennis court, or logging hours on a training session with your equine. This beauty and normal heat we deal with leads me to my thoughts for this evening regarding another former player from FSC, Greg Heartt.

Greg was already a player when I arrived at Florida Southern. He was a diminutive guy with passion and heart that were way bigger. Being fit was his second nature and he was super clean with his diet, as he knew what he wanted and how he was going to go about doing it. We didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of his habits, mostly due to my naivety with nutrition, but we never disagreed about his desire to play.

During his first season with me there wasn’t much singles play during matches. He was an integral part of our success at number three doubles. He was the free swinging, go for broke guy on the team and his partner was the French-Canadian volley machine. The two of them battled most of the year against the best teams in the country and helped us make it to the Regional finals. The emotions and excitement of that match set a tone and expectation that as hard as we tried, for multiple years, could not be duplicated. The part of his game I loved was his no holds barred approach. If he was in perfect position or on the dead run, he was going to go for it. It worked a lot but to say he never affected my nerves would be a lie.

His senior season was a year of change for him. He lost two of his mates as Knoedler and Laflamme both graduated. Laflamme was his doubles partner with who he had some remarkable success. I knew he was going to play in the doubles line-up, but I just wasn’t sure with whom or in what position. He even had some success in singles but doubles was his forte. During his senior year he ended up having three doubles partners and won with all three. He was the base and just worked with whomever I threw at him. Again, we made it to Regionals but didn’t have the best run when we got there. Greg graduated and moved on to the next step of life.

Alright, that is the tennis side of Greg. The side of him that kept me entertained was his spirit, love of life, and zest for an enjoyable time. It was easy to see where he got it from. His parents were ardent supporters of the program before I came and continued even when I joined. They would come down for matches and loved when we played near where they lived. His dad loved tennis, got to play with a few former pros, and was a great resource when it came to guys on the team. His mom was often there and made sure Greg and the other guys were properly nourished for the busy tournaments and matches. Greg, himself, had an effervescent personality. He had a smile on his face 99% of the time. He was always game for a night out, a run around the lake, or a party at Club Love with the boys from the team.

Once Greg graduated I wasn’t sure where he would end up. He had such passion for the outdoors I just didn’t think a job inside would suit him. He got into doing triathlons to continue his never-ending passion for competition. He got really good, qualifying for some of the higher-level events. Of course he did, I would not have expected anything else from someone with his drive. The job indoors never panned out and he went into the coaching profession at high end tennis clubs. He has busted his butt and moved up the pecking order while continuing his passion for this beautiful game. It has been a pleasure watching him move up, promote the game, and have fun like he did while he was at FSC.
Again, the story is the same. I had great guys who challenged me, made me better, and proved how good they were when they head out into the real world. If you ever need a good tennis coach look Greg up. If you ever want great competition against a guy that will give you everything he has, give him a call as well.

My Cool

Sometimes it is hard to see the good or cool through our daily slog of life. While sitting down tonight completely unaware about what I wanted to write about I took a sip of my cheap Merlot and it hit me like the tart finish of the dark red vino. We all have done some cool stuff in our lifetimes. Don’t compare your life to someone else’s just look at your life. Go back as far as you can remember and think about those memories. Of course, we can all pull up a few things, some good and other bad, but if we really delve into the depths of our memory bank there are cool things for sure. Cool things are also relative. What you think is cool, others will think is stupid or trivial. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you think it is cool. This isn’t something you discuss with others because you don’t want to be swayed by others’ perception of what a cool event is. If you thought it was an experience that rated cool on your scale then it is cool, neat, an experience that you had that you would never trade.

Some of the cool stuff that I remember isn’t necessarily riveting or even the most positive of outcomes, but the experience made it cool. I remember my mom driving myself and two other kids all over the northeast in an RV, so we could race BMX nationals. Yeah, that was cool, but the real cool part was getting lost in Harlem, NY when they would jump on your car to clean the windows back in the 80’s. Another cool part of that trip was that something happened with the battery and she couldn’t turn off the RV, so she drove all the way home, over 24 hours, without taking a rest. She was beat, but I will never forget that trip because of those experiences. There are many cool things that surrounded the BMX life and as I type they are just flooding back into the front of the brain.

Another cool experience was being a little kid and watching my dad and granddaddy race in the SCCA. They raced all over the southeast. I remember playing in the red clay at Road Atlanta, riding a tire at Sebring to mow down the weeds on the backstretch, watching my granddaddy crash at Daytona, and knowing that he held the overall speed record for his displacement of racecar at Talladega for many years. Those memories and moments are special. Because of racing I got to meet many famous people, who while at the track, were just racecar drivers. Those experiences have led me to look at people differently than a lot of the people I listen to daily.

I have relatives who have faced a bear while fishing in Alaska, have worked with the greatest rock stars of our time, and who have picked themselves up from humble beginnings to become successful in their chosen fields. I find this stuff cool because of the example that has been set and that it shows what is possible if you chase what you want to do.

What about cool animals. My brother in law was a K-9 officer. His dogs were amazing. So well trained but amazingly lovely to the family that cared for him. His skill set and the dog’s respect for the job necessary were just astounding. What about our family friend that has a dog that detects sugar levels to help with Type 1 diabetes. This is just a fabulous skill that has been trained into this dog. He has also helped others completely by accident because it is what he was trained to do. This stuff is just cool. The training and skills that animals are capable of is beyond any expectation I have ever had for one of my beloved pound puppies. Coolness is so relative to the person that thinks it is cool. Don’t get me wrong, I think some of these dogs that are being touted as “therapy dogs” are being abused but that really isn’t for me to judge. If you are religious, you know you will judged at the time of reckoning. I will just keep looking for cool animals and their amazing behaviors.

Lastly for this evening, people are cool. The jobs they do, the dreams they have, and the pursuit of those dreams they feel are worthy of chasing. I have a couple of friends who are firearms enthusiasts. Not what you would term weirdo’s but truly students of weaponry and what they can do. They study them and teach others how to safely use them. What about the college professors that I know that when they are not teaching are traveling the world seeing places that the rest of us only see on our sign-on screen on our computers. They have their favorite spots and share their experiences in the modern digital world, so we can all see the splendor they are capturing firsthand. Then there are my entrepreneurial friends who are trying to help others to help themselves. The status quo just isn’t their cup of tea. They may have normal careers but there is more out there, and they want it. I have classmates from high school who are making a difference in the world of medicine, law, business, and education. These people are cool. They are pursuing their excellence for their own reasons. Maybe it is for social status, economic reasons, or maybe it is because they love it. They don’t think they are cool but that makes them even cooler in my eyes. As I stated earlier, cool is a relative thought. Take some time to reflect as far back as you can, and I know, you too will have some amazingly cool things that you have done, and it will make you want to do more cool things as you move forward.

Tonight’s little thought comes on the eve of a visit to an amazing place tomorrow for Michelle and myself. When we visit we get to witness people moving around and their entire mission is to serve the people there to either make their days as comfortable as possible or to eradicate the non-cool from their bodies. The battles that are fought day and night are not cool, but the care, technology, compassion, and staff make the cool emit like early morning sun rays.

Get up early and watch the sun rise. Watch it set as well. Take every moment you have, and it will be hard for something cool not to happen. Sometimes the moon shines bright enough for the cool to be seen as well. Enjoy your days and don’t let others tell you what cool is.

Devolver bien por mal -- Jorge Gutierrez a Former Player from FSC

It is the Monday after Thanksgiving and we are speeding towards the second to last holiday of the year. Christmas is right around the corner, or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, or any other celebration that may be appropriate for your culture. It is time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the things that we want to make better as we move towards a new year. It has been a year of learning, growing, and a lot of tweets from world leaders. Hopefully, there will be a lot of about two out of three next year as well.

Tonight, I have decided to pen a bit about the happy Spaniard I had the privilege of coaching for three years.

Jorge Gutierrez came to Florida Southern from Spain as a highly recruited player. Somehow, he found his way to us, as I would later find out that many other higher ranked schools were interested in him. From the beginning the kid was great. He barely spoke connective English but always had a smile and a great spirit on the court. He was a hard-working student and managed to make great grades in classes that he didn’t even understand early on in his college career. One of the funniest things was his outstanding performance in his freshman English class. He made great grades on his writing assignments, often scoring better than his American classmates. Not only was he a good tennis player, he also had skills for learning how to utilize the college academic system to his utmost advantage. You see, there were writing labs where students could take their papers to have them looked over before they were presented. Jorge would put his thoughts down and then march them over to the writing lab to have them put in proper form. It was a type of Spanish/English to English literary translation that resulted in Dean’s list grades for his entire time at FSC. During his senior year he was also part of a group of players who presented their senior capstone on JetBlue Airlines. The group knocked it out of the park and we were anticipating graduation and Jorge playing another year while doing his MBA to further enhance his American business knowledge.

On the court Jorge was more at home. He had moments of utter brilliance and then there were days where he played to be more exacting. The fun about Jorge was you never knew which one was going to appear. During his three seasons playing at FSC he had a winning record all three years in singles. He played predominately at positions five and six with guest appearances higher up the roster. He was a big hitting left hander with powerful shots. He gained himself so many opportunities to move forward and finish with simple volleys or overpowering forehands it became impossible to count all of them. The only problem was that the attack portion of the court was as about as uncomfortable to Jorge as a ten-minute speech about what it meant to be an American during his freshman year. All kidding aside, Jorge was a grinding singles player who had everything necessary to be a dominating presence on the court. He was a hero for some of our biggest wins and I will never forget the day he was the clinching point against Queen’s College. The roar from his teammates and the crowd was just one of those moments that is indelibly marked in your memory.

As I spoke about above, the net and surrounding areas weren’t Jorge’s most comfortable places, but he had success in doubles. During his freshman season he went 13-4 at two and three doubles. The biggest surprise came with a losing record his second season. That year he and his partner only went 11-13 but all the matches were played at number one doubles. Yes, he played number one with Ivan Marevic. Ivan, who I will write about later was a hard hitting, go for broke player and needed someone that could open the court for him to take his risks. Enter Jorge and his own version of erratic, go for broke doubles style. The two of them made an odd pair but they had so many close matches the overall record could have easily flipped or even been hugely successful. The best part of the whole experiment was that Jorge accepted his role and embraced the fact that he was on the number one team and needed to lead as such.

Jorge never got to play his fourth year at FSC. He was offered the opportunity to go back to Spain, obtain his MBA, and learn at the family business. Selfishly, I wanted him to stay but as we always preached growth was painful, and the goal was to be a great beyond the tennis courts. He has gone on to do wonderful things in Spain and is now in an industry he desires to learn more about. Hopefully, he is still acting like he did when he was playing with reckless abandon and never feels like he is comfortably ahead. Some of his best performances on the court came when he was underestimated by his opponent. I hope none of his new business constituents ever underestimate what Jorge can do.

During his time at FSC, I never felt that Jorge was comfortable with who he was or what he was truly capable of doing with the talent he had. Early on in this little bio I mentioned that he was highly recruited. I will never forget the first fall regional tournament we went to in Valdosta. I was watching him battle a really talented player from a highly ranked team. A coach from another highly ranked team came up and was just baffled how I ended up with Jorge. He stated that he had tried along with some other schools and he knew that they could have offered him more. I am really glad he came to FSC because I got a lot more from him than I could have ever offered him.

Thankful for a lot

A while ago, I wrote about being consistently inconsistent. Well, I proved it. There was a moment that I had consistently been writing, happily telling stories of former players and then pontificating on things that just popped in my head and wouldn’t leave. Then, I allowed life to intervene. Isn’t that what we all say? Life got in the way! Life happened! It did, and we plowed on as a family. A job was left for opportunity years in the making, a battle has been fought and won, classes were taken and the desired outcome has been achieved, a hurricane delayed the outcome of a goal, and we have a horse that drinks a beer daily. All of these put a strain on the family unit, but each was worked through with diligence and the care necessary to achieve a goal satisfactory to the standard desired.

That leads me to today. Every time a blog was skipped I felt guilty. I want to get the story of my former players out because each of them is a great guy doing remarkable things. The thoughts that stay trapped in my mind cause havoc and once I get them on paper the lunacy evaporates. It is a weird dynamic that I wish on no one else. My poor wife lives with it and her pain can only be described as excruciating. Guilt is a funny thing. The entire reason I wouldn’t blog is because I had not completed my real estate licensure work. I had taken the class and was ready to take the test, but the first paragraph paralyzed my progress. Whether some was legit, and some was self-induced it halted the next step in my life according to my staircase. In reality, the staircase stopped on a couple of extra floors before I reach the top. Since I hadn’t achieved my real estate license I stopped doing everything I enjoy. I wouldn’t read my book in the morning. By the way, I am reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell currently and it is an informative read. I wouldn’t blog, fly the drone, workout, or any other thing I enjoy. The reason; if I have time to do this stuff I can study for the State exam. The final straw came a few weeks ago and I decided to go give it a shot and see what happens. I passed but wasn’t even excited because all I could think about was how much time I had wasted waiting for the right time. I never considered that everything happens for a reason and to embrace the challenges that had been placed in my way along the way.

Even though I wasn’t doing stuff I truly enjoy I was keeping up with the social media world and my former players. I have been almost like a fervent religious fanatic when it comes to staying in contact with them. The social media stuff is just entertaining. You guys have some funny thoughts and your cryptic messages are as entertaining as your personalities. To end this post, I am going to highlight three men who I have been following for a good while.

All three went to the same high school I did, attended at least part of the time I was there, and have become successes in their chosen fields. The first is a straight up bad ass. When he was in high school I believe there was talk about owning a bar. Well, he accomplished that and then parlayed that into a bigger bar and a lot of us ended up eating in his multiple locations. He also ran or was a part of a magazine I wanted to be in so badly. Now, he has a beautiful family, posts about working hard and finding people to work hard with him, feeds your kids in schools, and supplies the healthy stuff that more of us should be eating daily. The second one I did not know too well but he also attended school around the same time as me. I thoroughly enjoy seeing his banter with the unruly neighbor, his passion for the entrepreneur lifestyle, and his relentless pursuit of the happy complete life. Sometimes the picture we thought we saw ages and shows a completely different dimension when revisited years later. Lastly, is a guy that I knew but he was closer with my cousin and his family during our youth. He too has chased the business glory and moved out of state to do so. Recently he showed incredible resolve regarding a family matter that cannot get any closer. His steadfast love, willingness to share the moment publicly, and his heartfelt sentiment has been amazing to watch. His love of his family during such loss has made me just want to hug mine tighter because like they say, “You just never know.”
These three guys are just an example of what I see when I scroll through the social media platforms and I look forward to their thoughts and adventures each time I get the chance to see them. It is a refreshing change from the negative that so often infiltrates us and seems to be the norm. I appreciate these three for being abnormal in the best way possible. Oh yeah, I have passed my state licensure and will be joining Michelle at Century 21 At Your Service Realty as her partner and not just her back-office assistant. The new journey is just beginning but I look forward to the challenge and working towards a common goal with my wife daily. If you are wanting to sit down and have a beer just come on out to the barn and you and Rio can have a beer in his stall. Enjoy your family, create the life you want, and be who you are. Actually, be the best you possible. We’ll get over the fact that you aren’t who we want you to be.

We now Sit and Wait

There is a storm a brewin'. There will be more to write later. Tonight I am choosing to relax with the family as we have another day of preparation ahead of us. I will never complain or curse the work. I hope everyone stays safe and gets some great stories to share with all of us once it passes you safely. Enjoy the time with your family and remember to pick up your trash. Lastly, we will be okay. Back with you in three days.

Turn Right and Spare us the Drama

So, I feel like I could write about anything tonight and it would get about the same response. I could write about sports, a former player, sex in public places, the state of economic affairs, or even the art of a beautiful relationship and it wouldn’t matter. It appears that most of the world I swirl around in is contemplating the end of the world as they know it with an impending storm of catastrophic proportions. The part that is amazing is that we don’t even know where it is going yet. I guess that is the part that is so paralyzing.

As bad as this could turn out to be there is still work to do for a lot of everyday workers. The people who are lucky enough to stay at home and prepare are basking in the glow that they have done what others are not capable of doing at this point. Trying to do your daily work is going to be difficult from this point forward. People are wiping out their bank accounts (not really but waiting in line at the bank feels like it), trying to get gas because you drive for a living is tortuous (because people are filling up enough cans to drive to Alaska), doing regular grocery shopping is an afternoon event (yes, some of us need regular groceries and not ten cases of water for our family of three), and those same people have forgotten how to drive because they are checking the latest track while going to get plywood, generators, and batteries (better protect the house but screw the other drivers).

Of course, I am making light of this potentially disastrous situation. It really is potentially scary. It could possibly be life changing for some and life ending for others. I would never belittle people and their fears. What I am saying is step back and really look at what is going on around you. If you have lived in this area for any period of time you have been through big storms. It wasn’t that long ago that we dealt with the trifecta in southeast Polk County of Charlie, Francis, and Gene. It was devastating for some and very inconvenient for others. It cracks me up listening to people talk about those storms and how bad it was. Those same people live in the cities where my family had to travel to so that we could get hot meals from restaurants and gas for the generators we had to use. You see, they were inconvenienced and it sucked but we had no power for over a week and no house for over 9 months but for us it was an adventure that toughened us for the next ones. This is the perspective I look at things through. For some, it was catastrophic, for others it was catastrophic, and for another group it was catastrophic. Three separate regions, three levels of devastation, and each group thought that it was terrible. It is how we each see it.

I guess that is what I am saying in my little piece. This hurricane will damage something. What, we have no idea of knowing. Maybe I will be out of my house for another extended period of time (damn, I hope not), maybe people will lose everything that they treasured, or maybe it will skirt by and we will all be pissed that we wasted our time. Whichever way it goes stop and think for a moment, “Can I move forward?” “Will it be hard?” Probably, but at least you can move on, and “Could it have been worse?” If you can answer yes to these questions you are human and have the power to make your little area better than it was. It truly sucked to have my house devastated. It sucked renting a house for nine months, celebrating my daughter’s birthday while sitting out another hurricane, and driving 50 miles round trip a day to fill up 60 gallons of gas to run the family’s interests. You know what didn’t suck. Coming home to a house that had a new roof, new walls, and being able to go to lock the doors with the same amount of people in the house that were there the day the roof left. Be safe, be smart, and look around. People are trying their best and it’s not our job to tell them how to do it. Fear can be paralyzing but preparation can be their lifesaver.

Oh yeah, the only Irma I’ve ever known was a little girl I went to college with many years ago. This one seems a lot bigger and potentially much meaner than the one I knew. Batten down the hatches and be smart.

Fanatics Pay the Bills -- Spectating is Big Business

As the day nears completion I realized in order to stay consistent I needed to knock out a blog. It’s on the calendar so it must get accomplished. This is not the only thing on the calendar it appears. I think college football has started from the looks of social media and television exposure. Next the NFL will begin in earnest. Not that anyone cares, I am pumped because I am going the MXGP at WW Ranch tomorrow. I will not explain because if you know, you know, and if you don’t you won’t care anyway. Everybody has their thing and mine is definitely not large men scrambling for a pig skin while others create wealth from the damage they enjoy giving themselves and the opponent. I do like pig skins but the pork rind variety. They can be plain, hot, even the salt and vinegar variety are tasty. Crispy, fatty, but hey no carbs.

Sorry, I digressed there. I don’t have a favorite team anymore. When I followed the sports world, I was a fan of FSU because my dad was a UM fan, I couldn’t be a UF fan because everyone else was. It is amazing how many people give money to an institution that they have never attended. Why, but that is for a different day. Peer pressure and coolness are amazing factors. I really liked Texas A&M, because they had this twelfth man thing where an actual walk on was on the kicking team, or something like that. I was young, it was a cool thing. They also had this amazing tradition before the Texas game and this ornate bonfire. Tragedy ended the bonfire and big money probably changed the other. The last team I like was University of Washington. I mean, you must be a bad ass to wear purple and gold. Plus, how cool would it be to tailgate on a boat before a game. I was young, it was cool to sit around and watch games, and I didn’t have other things I cared about.

As I sit here now I really couldn’t tell you anything substantial about the football world. I know UF played Michigan today and lost but I don’t know the score. I think Maryland beat Texas, a billion-dollar athletic program even in defeat, and my dad was frustrated because his beloved Apps were getting throttled by Georgia while I was on the phone with him. I think my father in law was excited for the potential of a great game tonight with FSU vs. Alabama. I understand the excitement and camaraderie. For years we went to multiple Bucs games and did the whole tailgate experience. I’ve been to the swamp and watched the Gator Getters’ do their thing with prospective players. I’ve experienced the joy of victory and the agony of defeat while freezing in Boone. Of course, I’ve experienced the same thing while sweating so much I made a puddle in the old sombrero at Tampa.

I guess my biggest issue with any of this is the time commitment over and over for weeks on end. Plus, how much does the average fan remember after consuming so many beverages there is no need for embalming? I jest, but seriously it is a great question. There are so many other things that I could do besides sit on a couch for several hours each weekend watching other people do stuff. I want to do not watch. Yes, I am going to a race tomorrow to spectate but it is a one-off event that will not happen again at this venue. Apples to oranges so don’t even go there. Why have we become spectators versus doers? Televisions are beautiful now, stadium food is much better than it used to be, but seriously, wouldn’t it be cooler to actually go do something you could control versus watching something that you cannot control no matter how much you drink or yell?

Just my two cents. Don’t worry I rarely miss the big events. With the advent of social media and 24- hour news I get to keep up with scores and stats. You all are awesome at putting your teams results up so if I can just find friends from each major team I am covered for the entire season. I enjoy the barbs towards your opponents, how when your team wins they are going all the way, and when they lose it’s not because they suck or got outplayed. There is always an excuse of some sort that is the cause. Sometimes teams just aren’t as good as you hope they are. Ask any Gator, Longhorn, or Mountaineer tonight.
Keep cheering, keep paying, and wear your team on your sleeve (I guess that fits in with keep paying). All of this is in jest because what I like gets so little press that I get a bit jealous with how easily you can view or attend your favorite thing. Maybe one day I can travel the Supercross circuit, Motocross circuit, or the IMSA circuit so I too can watch my favorite thing each time it happens. Congrats to those that won, there is always next week for those that were defeated, and keep posting pics of that amazing food you prepare for each of these events.

Earn It!! -- The Story of Charles

Relaxation is something that people who work just do not allow themselves to do much anymore. I specified working because if you aren’t gainfully employed, a stay at home mom, retired, or unable to work, you cannot say you are busy and cannot find time to relax. That word, relax, has come to be such a word that just gets thrown around and we have forgotten how important it is to relax so that we can reflect on what we have accomplished. I say this while drinking a nice glass of red wine and typing out the latest blog. The red wine was a suggestion from a good friend, Cliff Coleman. He told me I needed to stop drinking beer, dang it, I really like beer, so I started trying red wine. It is a relaxing endeavor and seemed appropriate tonight. Relaxing was also hard for the focus of tonight’s past player blog. He worked his butt off and today he sees the dividends of that work that was done many years ago.

Charles Garneau was another of the French Canadians that came to FSC to ply their trade as athletes. He was recommended by another player and I was sure that he would fill the void created by losing some great former players. He was French Canadian and the others from the same area had been very productive, great contributors, awesome students, and downright funny human beings. When Charles showed up on the FSC campus he was a tiny thing. My first thought was, “Oh lord, we are going to have Napoleon’s complex with this one,” and he definitely played bigger than his body should have allowed. Immediately he checked off a couple of the important boxes. He was a great contributor with his effort and academics but he was struggling to succeed on the court and he wasn’t as funny as the others. The latter wasn’t super important because he was task driven and stubborn. The stubborn part was a little tough but as you will read a little later was an important part in his overall success. He immediately played in the top six and his freshman year he had some good success in singles and was adequate in doubles play. All was okay, then his sophomore season happened.

As we entered his sophomore season you would expect that the growth that had occurred during his freshman season would have toughened him up as he moved forward. This did not occur and that thing that happens to athletes known as the sophomore slump happened to Charles. He did not perform and at the end of the season had only played four singles matches during the entire season. This would have been great except he was being pushed out of the lineup by walk-ons. He was forcing the issue and was trying to play bigger and bigger which only added to his frustration and my bewilderment. As the season wore on I was getting angrier and angrier and wanted to pull the plug on this little Canadian. Here is where the heart and business do not go well. I loved my athletes as human beings. I recruited them because of various reasons. One reason was because I thought they were bad ass players that could make a difference on the court. Another was that I thought they would be great ambassadors of FSC and their academic prowess would make us a superior program on campus. The last reason was because they were good people and I really like good people. Charles fit all those boxes on paper and had done so well to make that happen his freshman year and then his sophomore year the train just came off the track for the athletic portion. After the season, Charles and I had to have one of the hardest talks you can ever have with someone that you care about. Basically, this was our conversation. “Charles, I recruited you and gave you a scholarship because I thought you would come here and make a difference on this team.” “Do you believe that you have done that this year?” He answered no and then I continued. “I am judged on my wins and losses and when I bring a player in that doesn’t perform that is on me.” After a deep breath, I continued. “At FSC once I recruit you I have you as a player unless you do something stupid. You have done nothing stupid but you have not performed. Do you agree?” He answered and I continued as the words backed up in my throat. “I need to bring in a player that can perform but the only way I can do that is to take away part of your scholarship so that I can free up the money to bring a player to do that.” “Will you please sign this paper that you are okay with having your scholarship cut since you agree you haven’t done what you were brought here to do?” He answered as the anger swelled in his massive heart. You see, the only way that I could cut a scholarship was to have the player agree to it. He agreed, then it was his turn.

“Coach, I cannot afford to be here without the scholarship that you have given me. I am going to go home and work all summer so that I can come back here and play next year. I will prove that I belong here.” I thought that was a great attitude considering the circumstances and felt the pressure in the room pushing me further down in my chair. He continued, “If I prove myself during my junior year would you please allow me to have my scholarship money back during my senior year?” I told him that I would make no promises but if he came back and did what I knew he could do we would sit back down and discuss what was possible. He then stated, “My mom and dad have told me that they would not pay any extra so I will have to work all summer to make the money to come back. I will work at restaurants, construction, teach tennis, or do whatever I have to do.” He signed the paper with tears in his eyes and left the room. I too left the room with tears in my eyes because somehow, I failed to get the best out of him on the court.

When a player tells you they are going to do something it is always dangerous to hold your breath in anticipation that it will really happen. Think about your own life. The idea of accomplishing something big seems appealing, world changing, and could make you feel like a real bad ass. Then the actual work begins and it’s hard. Demanding work is not something many of us strive to do. Well, Charles did the work. I mean he labored. He did everything in his power to earn the money to come back to cover the portion of his scholarship that I had unceremoniously removed from him. He also applied for and became a resident assistant in the dorms for his junior year. When he arrived back on campus for his junior year there was a fire in his eye and pep in his step that had been missing. He worked harder and more deliberately towards all his goals. He earned his spot back on the team in singles and doubles and we sat back down at the end of the season once again. You see, I was supposed to take the money that I took from him and bring in another player. If I was to bring in another player and Charles failed during his junior year he might leave opening more money for me to use the following year to bring in another player. I failed!!! I did not accomplish the task of bringing in another player so that money he so desperately wanted and needed just sat there slapping him in the face. He didn’t throw it in my face and graciously accepted my offer to return his money to him during his senior season. When the reward is earned, it is appreciated and it is honorable to abide by your word.

During his senior season, he became the boss of the team. Not because he was ready to do so but because he was the only player left from the previous squad. Seven of the eight players had graduated leaving only him. I recruited a fresh style squad trying to go more American, which is another story for another time, but it just didn’t work out. Charles had been a great six player and sometimes fit in at number five but during his senior season he had to play number three. He was a skillful player but he was not equipped to play at that level on a day in, day out basis. He took his lumps during the senior year and that squad was the worst performing team I ever coached. We just weren’t that good. We had fun as a team, the guys were awesome, we just didn’t win. This falls squarely on my shoulders and the players gave me everything they had. The best moment of the year as an athlete for Charles was during his last match of the season he was able to pull off a win to end his career on a personal victory. He was also awarded the MVP award because he dealt with so much his senior year it was the only logical thing I could do to honor his efforts. He earned it more for the work he did to get to that point than he ever did as the athlete he was.

Charles graduated but didn’t leave. If you go to the Mortgage Firm in downtown Lakeland you can see him working side by side with one of his former teammates. His work ethic continues to allow him to pursue excellence. Now, he just helps others achieve their dreams. The walls that were put in front of Charles have created a beautiful home that he now resides in with his girlfriend. Well done Charles, well done!