They Are Who We Thought They Were!

I love this line! .... Former Arizona Cardinals football coach Dennis Green, created this infamous one liner in a press conference immediately following a devastating loss to the Chicago Bears .... when it was suggested by a reporter that maybe they under estimated their opponent and weren't prepared for their personnel! .... You see, there are many things in life that don't always reflect the real facts! .... There's a cute story out there that once a guy walked into a bar that was fairly crowed. He proceeded to order a drink and shortly there after, removed from his briefcase .... a tiny piano .... a mouse .... and a parakeet! .... The patrons were curious and became amazed when the man instructed the mouse to play and the bird to sign!  The mouse played brilliantly and the bird sang with an unbelievable operatic voice.  When they finished and the crowd settled, a very wealthy patron walked up to the man and offered him $100, 000.00 for the parakeet.  He agreed to the price and promptly handed over the bird!  When he was gone, the bartender approached than man and said, ' You are crazy, you could have gotten millions for the bird and you settled for a mere $100,000.00!'  The man smiled sheepishly and said,' No big deal, the mouse is a Ventriloquist!' .... So here's the lesson I take from both of these scenarios, I need to examine and believe in what the truth is, and don't get caught up in the excitement of the moment and overreact! .... I need to make sure that in all cases, and with everything that I do from this point forward ....  I Know Who I Thought They Were!

Changing The Rules .... Or Enforcing Them?

In case you haven't noticed, many of my post are analogies of some thing or someone in sports! .... Let's face it .... I Love Sports! .... Not just the game but the psychology, intricacies, and nuances of the games.  I consider myself a true sports freak because I am versed in all sports and pride myself in knowing most all rules of all sports .... even obscure sports like field hockey .... squash .... lacrosse ....even water polo! .... Although I must admit that I still haven't figured out how they get those horses to hold their breath under water! .... All right I kid! .... But seriously, water polo is a very physically demanding sport, and considering that I'm not exactly 'Aquaman' when it comes to the water, I have great respect for anyone that plays! ....  As I told my students many times when I was teaching, don't just be a fan, be an enthusiast! .... Understand the rules and appreciate all sports! .... A true sports fan makes it a point to know the rules to help enjoy what you are watching! .... You will be better prepared  and appreciate the strategies imposed by coaches, managers, and players! .... A perfect example of what I am talking about is never more relevant than right now with all the talk and controversy involving the NFL .... and the focus on illegal hits and safety issues of players! .... As a fan, if you don't know at least the basics of the rule that applies to this topic, you may become someone that looses interest, and listen only to the opinion of others and make those opinions yours! ....  There is hardly a person .... sports fan or not  .... that hasn't watched television or viewed a web page this week, and have seen displayed the hits by .... Brandon Meriweather .... James Harrison .... and Dunta Robinson  .... in NFL games this past weekend! .... So here's the issue with all of this! .... Is the NFL really trying to make the game safer and prevent some catastrophic unthinkable injury, or are they just covering their butts? .... As a true sports fan you need to know .... Rule 12 ....  and how it covers 'Helmet to Helmet 'hits! .... Then, as an knowledgeable fan, you will be part of the solution, by formulating your own opinion .... instead of relying on others! ....  From this Sunday forward .... games .... plays .... players .... teams .... and outcomes .... will be dramatically different from what we have been accustomed! .... You know, the funny thing here is how closely sports mirror life! .... So what is the .... 'Rule 12' of life ? ....  The  'Helmet to Helmet' hit! .... Whatever it is ....  I'm going to make sure that I  understand and know it as best I can ....  to judge wisely what I see .... as I see it!

Oh Great ..... Rain!

Terrific .... the forecast the next couple of days is for rain .... clouds .... and gray skies! .... Unbelievable,  this is supposed to be sunny Southern California! ....  Some of you who know me realize that I have pet peeves about things in nature .... Wind .... Trees .... and .... Rain! .... Trees and rain being the worst! .... It's probably because growing up on the East Coast, a good week would be if the weather forecast was for mostly cloudy and cool with an 80% chance of rain daily ....  and a slight chance of ever seeing the sun! .... Okay .... I exaggerate, but only slightly!.... In addition, if you have not been back east, the problem is that with the exceptions of the big cities, there are so many trees that even when the sun shines in certain places .... you still can't see it! .... Call me crazy .... give me those 350 days of clear skies .... I'll figure out a way to shade myself without a 'Rain-forest'! .... Think about  it .... 'Rainforest'  .... those two words alone should strike terror in the hearts of any sun loving soul! .... See, here's the thing .... natural forces are like friendships and relationships! .... If you are fortunate enough to be in a geographical location where things are constant, the stress of daily life only needs to be about our work .... or off time! .... On the other hand, living in a location that is unpredictable, with a major chance for climate variances .... besides work, what do you have? .... What you have is a better chance to focus on interpersonal contact! .... In my opinion .... trees represent .... friendships and relationships! .... They provide the cover that shields and hides us temporally from the inevitable .... it's raining and we're going to get wet! ... So unlike trees that thrive in rain .... we get a false sense of security .... we are tricked by are own mind into thinking .... that just because we can't see it or feel it .... it's not raining! .... And what about rain? .... Maybe the rain is the real culprit .... at least for me! .... Even on the rare days when it does rain it's a problem for me!.... Instead of performing the wonderful function that nature intended .... which is to give life and hope by washing away dirt and debris, and providing the basic element humans require (water) .... rain leaves me sloshing in the dirt and debris of others! .... You would think that things would be good once the rain stops .... but for me .... as I look out the window in this down pour .... I see only gray skies and debris!

In Search Of ....!

This is so cool! .... I decided that being retired,  gives me a lot of time to explore new opportunities!  .... One of those opportunities comes with the understanding that everyone has to eat! .... So I thought that since I have to eat anyway, why not make it a little more interesting! .... Some of you may remember a television show a few years ago that was called .... 'In Search Of' .... I think the premiss at the time was for the reporters to travel around the world and discover unusual people .... events .... or locations.  Anyway it was entertaining, especially since it aired before the age of the Internet and everything else that is at our fingertips today! .... Still,  I thought it would be fun .... since I have a few extra minutes of time each day anyway .... to explore what most people don't agree is .... that sandwiches are not fast food! .... Okay for the most part they are! .... Even the Earl himself thought so when he created the 'Sandwich' .... as a late night snack several centuries ago! .... Never the less, I think since the sandwich originated from such royal beginnings, it should be dignified with more attention payed to it than let's say .... pizza .... or ,,,, tacos! ....  I'm still going to post my life and 'Retirement' as I see it .... including my opinions on everything and anything that moves me .... but in addition, I will be posting on another site .... that I call .... 'One Great Sandwich' .... pretty much everyday! .... The website is .... ongreatsandwich.blogspot.com .... and I will also link that through my Facebook page. (Hopefully in a day or two I'll have found my first 'Great Sandwich'! ) .... When I looked at the vastness of this project it was a little overwhelming .... but hey ....  Rome wasn't built in a day .... and the Steelers don't win every Super Bowl! .... But the facts are that like the Romans and the Steelers .... I'll try .... and always be  .... ' In Search Of ' .... that .... 'One Great Sandwich!'

Social Networking!

Cool term! .... But what is it and how long have we known about it? .... The Wikipedia definition is as follows .... 'A social network is a social structure made up of individuals (or organizations) called "nodes," which are tied (connected) by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.' ....  Okay, now this makes sense! .... See, I thought this was a relatively new term to our society, but I now realize it's been around along time and has involved some well known characters in history! .... Even some famous story-lines from movies and television involve 'Social Networking'! .... First the historical characters! .... There are far too many to list in this post, so I'm just going to deal with a couple that everyone can identify with! ... Almost everyone is familiar with Benjamin Franklin. .... That's right .... the 'kite guy' ....  everyone knows of at least one of his famous exploits! .... What most of you don't know is that he was one of the great Social Networkers of his time .... both with men and .... especially the ladies! .... Hard to believe those funky looking glasses could be considered sexy, but they really worked for old Ben! .... You see, when it came to .... 'getting around' .... he was a better candidate to be called .... 'father of our country' ....  than George Washington! .... The ladies loved him! .... No .... I  mean they really loved him! .... I'm not sure the his total number of offspring has ever been accurately counted .... but it's many! .... The other great Social Networker of his time was Thomas Jefferson! .... He too was a great communicator and did everything in his power keep his slaves ....  Happy .... If you know what I mean! .... But seriously, the imagination of Gene Roddenberry .... the man behind the Star Trek iconic science-fiction series, captured in his plots the future of Social Networking! ....  He stated in his prolog that .....'We would go where no man had gone before' .... at least not yet! ... In most of his story-lines he constantly was seeking new life sources and trying to establish an open line of communication .... even if these life forms were different from what we knew! .... The challenge for the star-ship Enterprise and its crew was to find common ground to link various civilization together, constantly seeking discussions rather than conflict. .... Did he have the right idea? .... Was this the true meaning of Social Networking? ..... Is it possible that with the advancement of technology this is the greatest tool mankind has ever received? .... Or have we gone too far too fast from Franklin and Jefferson's time? .... Have we made it too complicated? .... I think not! .... I believe we do need to .... 'Go where no man has gone before' .... Heck we have too! .... Franklin and Jefferson have already taken care of the other!

America's Team!

Are you kidding me! .... I think it's time to retire that term for the 'STAR'! ( Dallas's Logo) .... Let's face it, in an earlier post I commented on a quote by George Allen, when he referred to a very talented NFL rookie running back in the early seventies .... When ask by the press as to how good and how successful  he thought  this young man could be ....  he replied. "Talent is not enough"! .... Now we flash forward forty years and because we are so enamored by flash and cash .... the marvelously over rated mystique of the Dallas Cowboys  and other pro sports franchise's, has become tarnished and quite frankly a little annoying! .... The annoyance comes from the plethora of football retirees and so called experts, dissecting every aspect of .... 'What's wrong with the boys'? .... I say who cares? .... There are 31 other NFL teams that deserve the respect and attention for what they do .... not only on the field .... but off of it too! .... In this age of the pro sports athlete and extremely high salaries, it is becoming difficult listening to excuses and finger pointing as to why they are coming up short of expectations! .... Criticism of these talented individuals is based as much on personal life styles as on field performance! .... These criticisms are justified! .... There are so many instances where athletes have been more easily recognized for their poor judgement .... reckless endangerment of themselves and others .... suicides or accidental deaths ....  and greedy me, me, me only attitude! .... For the thousands of pro athletes that go about their job with enthusiasm ....  hard work .... dedication to family and community .... and commitment to team and owner .... there is a very small percentage of malcontents that attract the majority of the press! .... So here it is! .... We can't stop people reporting the information the way they do ..... but we can recognize when images and symbols are becoming bigger than the definition of athletics and what they mean to a city or country! .... We can shun sleazy marketing techniques of a few owners whose egos are bigger than the games themselves! .... We can expect a quality product and outstanding effort! ....  We can reject the behavior and thoughtlessness of those few! .... because .... 'Talent is not enough!'

Life As We Know It!

You may have noticed that I have not posted as much in recent weeks .... that may have something to do with today's topic! .... For years scientists have insisted that they have not identified life anywhere in the universe, and a term they frequently use is .... 'As We Know It!' .... I've been thinking about this and coincidentally heard the term used recently in a commercial for a new movie .... Life As We Know It  .... being released in a couple of days.  This is a perfect term for anyone that has gone through stuff .... retirement .... relationships .... friendships .... and generally any other changes! .... The point here is that change is not all bad .... scary .... but not bad .... just different! .... And when you come to grips with the reality of it, it can be therapeutic! .... The down side is that some parts of your life that you grow accustomed to are no longer available for you to use as a safety net and comfort zone! .... It's a mechanism we have in place and use .... that both protects us and hinders us.  In my case many things have changed for me since I turned .... dare I say ....  'SIXTY'! .... And of course retirement ....  has proven to be extremely more difficult to adjust to than I thought! .... Aside from that though, surprisingly, friendships have been altered! .... At first glance I integrated the two and made them symbiotic with resolution and conciliation! .... Not the right approach .... A better approach is to reflect back on the affects and derive a process in which I garner wisdom to accept and glean peace and tranquility! .... You see this is just another piece to a very intricate puzzle that we call life! .... I am beginning to understand that my new life is different from the way I understood my old one! .... In my classroom on the front wall, I posted a quote by legendary Indiana University and Texas Tech basketball coach .... Bobby Knight .... He said, " The will to win is not as important as the will to prepare to win." .... and as I told my students many times, they need to work hard, stay focused .... realize that working hard is more important than raw talent .... if you want to succeed! .... The same can be said for ultimately adjusting to life's course changes .... I need .... 'to prepare to win' .... at this new life challenge! .... I need to realize that ...."Life As I Knew It" .... has changed!

Paradise Lost!

Okay .... maybe not to the extent  John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' referred to in the 17th century poem .... but paradoxically  to what's happening in my world.   Milton's poem has strong biblical implications and closely aligns with the story of Adam and Eve! .... But goes even further to develop tie ins to other forms of religion and worship throughout civilization! .... Ultimately it's the original story of good versus evil .... but Milton's twist is that the villain .... or evil ....( Satan in this setting ).... is not that bad a character! .... So how is this a paradox for me? .... Simple, for many reasons most of us are judged on how our life's turn out.   We usually are perceived and evaluated based on our body of work .... which includes but is not limited to our relationships and accomplishments! .... Example, a quote from Milton's work states that ' It is better to rein in Hell than serve in Heaven.' .... Now remember that when Milton wrote this .... modern psychology was still more than 200 years in the future ....  Freud and Skinner  .... were still in waiting! .... It doesn't matter how often  that what I perceive to be a good deed .... an altruistic gesture .... goes unnoticed and overlooked .... it only matters what the final score is! .... I don't know who keeps score on this stuff .... maybe no one .... never the less, it still affects me and how I will proceed to rule the rest of my life! .... If I'm the only one that sees benefits in what I am doing .... while others believe that what I am doing places me in my own personal 'Hell' .... then so be it! ....  Once again ...  maybe Milton was right? .... ' It is better to rein in Hell than to serve in Heaven!'