Working with a client today, got out of the car and took a gander.
Never thought I would bump into him and his family in Grafton. Last I heard he was alone in space trying to dispatch some astrophage and save the world.
But given the supportive nature of his parents, especially dad, they must just fly in wherever and stay the summer.
Don’t get down about your duds, buddy. You can still do some swimming in that outfit. And I bet you are flyin’ in ten weeks.
Welcome to Wisconsin, Ryan!!
Not that I don’t like the prompts. I just felt like talking about this is all.
The past week has been trying to say the least. Some metamorphosis going on me thinks. Figures, it is spring afterall. Allegedly.
I am looking to find some peace of the internal variety. After spending so much of my life over functioning over everything, a dozen or so steps need to be taken backwards. Not so much to start over. More so, to remain in the here and now is all. Some days, I might find myself in a pair of soles from the 70’s or 80’s. Other times, I was in something so far ahead that they hadn’t even made it out the designer’s noggin yet.
That being said, there is a definite need and value to just staying right here. I may get a little agitated by the desire to go futz in the yard or design some screen to keep leaves out the window wells. The former comes as an aside when I got a spare twenty minutes. The latter is still on the drawing board. They are just fulfilling distractions.
But those have never fallen into the “over” category. More so antidotal by nature. So for today, I am going to remain right here. In my thoughts. Definitely in my words. And finally in my actions. I aim to avoid the crisis I can create within the top floor, that spills out of my lips and ends up being made into a mess.
Hallow happens to have a two week journey embracing peace and serenity. And if todays ten minutes is anything like yesterdays, then I am on a pretty dang good path.
So with regard to the actual prompt from today, my aim is to minimalize my over side into extinction.
Don’t need to carry around that fossil anymore.
Now that I think about it, I don’t think it was one thing.
When all was said and done, I had the opportunity to try many different things when I was growing up. My parents supported many different endeavors for me and my brothers. So perhaps my obsession was just doing all sorts of things.
Like painting and building model airplanes. Hanging them from the ceiling in my bedroom. Squadrons of B-17’s, B-24’s, Mustangs, Corsairs, Spitfires, Hurricanes. Tanks and armored carriers on the shelves.
Estes rockets too!
Walking home for lunch from grade school at The Lane for a sandwich, chips and a glass of milk and watching Bozo the Clown on WGN.
Riding bikes all over. Even taking a bag of clubs to the local par three and spending five bucks to play golf for the day.
Fishing trips to Iron Mountain, Michigan, Bangs Lake, Spring Lake or on Lake Michigan for the Mighty Ohoc with Dr. Cerchio.
Listening to records at “11” in the living room, laying on the floor next to the console, reading the liner notes.
Block parties.
Playing army.
Whiffel ball, stealing bases, or football in any one of the front yards on the block.
Street hockey.
Learning to cut the grass.
Shoveling the driveway, then making snow forts and igloos.
I grew up with an opportunity to try and do all sorts of things back in the day.
Leading to my decades old obsession now.
That is just one of them.
Well I can’t say I have encountered an interesting local custom. There is word of something other worldly that resides in the northern portion of the state. The great spotted Hodag. I don’t think that qualifies as a custom, unless you count looking for it.
So if it is ok with you, I will share two football related customs I have been a part of.
In high school, we played in one of the oldest football rivalries in the state of Illinois. The “Old Oaken Bucket” football rivalry between Hinsdale Central and Downers Grove North began in 1935 as an annual contest between the two West Suburban Conference charter schools. The trophy, a copper-bound wooden bucket, was created by students in the [Hinsdale High School manual training room] to symbolize their rivalry, with results marked on it annually.
Our senior year, 1976, we won it back on Homecoming,, on Augie’s amazing touchdown. He is on the left. I am pointing out the score, 21-19.
Then in college, I got to play in one of the oldest rivalreis in college football. The Knox-Monmouth football rivalry began in 1888, ranking as one of the oldest in college football. Known as the “Battle for the Bronze Turkey,” it officially became a trophy game in 1928, proposed by Knox player Bill Collins because the annual matchup was held on Thanksgiving Day.
After getting spanked in that game my freshman and sophomore season, we took it back my junior year in 1979, and held onto it my last season as a football player. Here, Tom, Bobby and I formally receive the Turkey.
Those games, regardless of the outcome of the season, remain a focal point for each of those schools. And let me tell you, they are true battles where just about anything goes. I think I still have some of those boo boos left.
Perhaps that makes them customs.
I am not there yet.
Still a work in progress. Both knowing and then doing.
But for now, I need to live in this moment with intention, think, speak and act with selflessness, embrace and trust in my faith and engage in and cultivate genuine fellowship.
If I can trust this description, then I can and will live it.
Bit by bit.
Day by day.
...my temporary assignment. 