SEC Back-Up

Greetings from high above the Midwest as Jen and I make our way to Charlotte before our travels take us to Myrtle Beach - Charleston - Peachtree City - Alpharetta - Oakboro (rural Charlotte).  Another trip on crack, but at least I will not return to Portland and return to school.

But I digress before I even start. Is that possible? Anyway…my musings today stem from two factors. (1) I finally took the advice of my buddy Andrew and purchased Dixieland Delight (by Clay Travis), which has been part of my entertainment on my flight thus far. The book tells the tales from Clay’s 8,000 mile tour / road trip through the Southeast and the 2006 SEC football season - 1 home game at each member school - and (2) I had to be calmed while violently shaking my cozy plane seat as I was cheering on LSU who staved off elimination from the College World Series by plating 4 runners in the bottom of the 9th to beat and eliminate Rice (6 - 5).

So where does this leave us you ask?  Primary colors are great - red, yellow, blue - but seeing additional / secondary colors is a plus…they make life more, well, colorful.  That being said, we all have primary colleges for whom we devote much time, energy, and money, but I think we, like the color wheel, need secondary options, too.  What happens when you have a hankering for Chick-fil-A on Sunday when you know they are closed?  You do not vouch to never go again.  You simply find another yearning to supply your gastronomic craving and know that this is neither the first nor the last time you will encounter this exact same dilemma.  You have your primary desire, which is closed, so you find a secondary option to quench your thirst even if it is not as good as your primary drink of choice.

I am not here to help you lay out rules and hash through your options to find an alternative school for whom to cheer, but I have come to realize over the past couple of years that the Bengal Tiger Cats of Louisiana State University are my secondary color of choice.  But LSU is an SEC school you quip.  Right you are my friend, but I am not going to deny my primary Georgia squad when they meet in competition.  That would be like amputating your arm because you jammed your finger.  No way baby…that’s just not going down.  But when LSU is playing Rice, why should I not cheer for them?  My friend Molly is a Cajun, and she is one of the coolest people I know.  I have heard good things about LSU folk, and I hope to experience a night in the Bayou this October when the DAWGS head to Baton Rouge for what is expected to be a slugfest and a key game in Georgia’s run at a national title.

Quality, wholesome, jambalaya- and gumbo-making Cajuns are quality people on whom I wish no evil unless they meet my beloved Red and Black clad brethren from Athens.  You, my Bengal Tiger Cat friend, you are my Kid Sister to Georgia being My Buddy!

Get Out And Romp

Tuesdays

Most high school students are not fond of reading. However, a random moment sparked a conversation between a student and me about Jon Krakauer’s work. Krakauer happens to be my favorite author [“Into Thin Air” being my most preferred book]. Therefore, when asked for my thoughts on my favorite book, I was stoked out of my gourd.

I have no idea what prompted the Krakauer question, but I spewed my thoughts about “into Thin Air,” “Into the Wild,” “Under the Banner of Heaven,” and Krakauer’s writing in general. After sharing my thoughts, class continued with no further thought about the author.

Or so I thought.

At class’s start A few days later, the Krakauer asking student handed me “Tuesdays with Morrie” (by Mitch Albom). “You should read this,” he stated confidently. “You will enjoy the book.”

I stared at the book, read the title and back cover, and quickly reasoned that this book was similar to my favorite Krakauer works in one fashion only - human suffering. To my initial disliking, the book did not include the outdoor elements, the real danger, the sport, and the unexpectedness of humans trying to conquer nature that keep me glued to Krakauer’s every word. I had emphatically emphasized the great qualities that I drew me to Krakauer’s writings. Nevertheless, I took the book and lackadaisically suggested “I would read it when I am done with my current reading material.”

Fast-forward a week. I am bored with my book “Last Dance” (by John Feinstein), a book on the Final Four that I should love and read quickly. However, this book did not stimulate me or hold my interest, so I was left trying “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

Reading fast and Todd are antonyms, but I have read 3/4 of the book in a few days. Granted, it is a small book, and I was able to read on my flight from Portland to Atlanta.

Nevertheless, I am engrossed in a book I thought I would not like, that is unlike Krakauer’s books, and that is emotional and touching, and I am ok with these facts. I look forward to finishing the book and concluding my lessons with Morrie, and I suggest you start your class with Morrie soon…before or after reading the three aforementioned Krakauer works.

Get Out And Romp