I Wish

I wish

I wish I had a platform.

I wish I had a platform, not just because I’m short and would feel taller.

I wish I had a platform because I would hope I could help bring some sanity to this world.

I wish I had a Star Trek Teleporter, so I could Teleport to wherever insanity was taking place. And I wish I could make like Jiminy Cricket and be that voice of reason on people’s shoulders.

I wish I didn’t have to read about shootings in schools. Is there anywhere safe these days?

I wish I didn’t have to worry about my boys starting school in the next 12-18 months and all the lunatics that exist.

I mean, yeah, shooting innocent unsuspecting people teaches someone a lesson. It’s a mad world. It’s a sad world.

I wish I was raising my boys in a world like I had, or like my parents had.

I wish they could walk to school without me or my wife, and not have to worry about who was lurking.

I wish I didn’t have to do a background check on the parents, families, teachers and coaches my sons will have over the next 14 years.

I wish every child had a mommy and a daddy in the home.

I wish I could be wherever children are being hurt by adults, and somehow find a better home for the children. Every child deserves a chance to have a chance.

I wish I didn’t have to start thinking about how to tell my 3 and 4 year old boys that if anyone “touches” them, they need to tell mommy and daddy.

I wish I didn’t have to think about thinking about that.

I wish I could be the judge and jury AND enforcer for people who do hurt children.

I wish there was a way to punish those people who take the lives of other people, and then take their own.

I wish I could go back in time and tell the writers of the Constitution and our laws to be future minded and close as many loopholes as possible so that the intent wouldn’t be so abused these days.

I wish people would take the common sense approach to life and the Consitution.

I wish we didn’t have to talk about gun regulation. We have the right to bear arms. Problem is, idiots have the same right.

The right to bear arms was put there so the government couldn’t confiscate weapons, and so people could protect themselves from danger…and back then, even the government.

And what is gun regulation? The government controlling guns… See where this going?
I wish people really understood freedom.

Freedom isn’t the right to do wrong. Freedom is the right to be wrong.

I wish freedom of speech wasn’t so abused. Honestly. It’s not the right to say whatever you want. It’s the right to not have the government tell you what you can say.

And by misinterpreting that, we now have the government telling us what we can and can’t say.

I wish that anything spoken contrary to a person’s opinion wasn’t considered inflammatory or hateful.

I wish everything wasn’t about money. You name it, somehow money effects it.

I wish greed wasn’t good.

I wish our judicial system worked. I mean, not everyone is “a good kid who wouldn’t hurt anybody.” And I understand reasonable doubt, but in a morally and ethically challenged society, isn’t reasonable doubt abused? People deserve the right to a fair trial, but fair doesn’t mean getting off with little or no punishment.

I wish people would understand that whether they are Christian or not, our way of life was founded on those principles and as those principles have eroded, so has our way of life.

I understand that we are a land of many religions these days, but there used to be an “American Way.” It wasn’t perfect. But you surely didn’t have the chaos of today’s society.

If everyone is right, how can there by wrong? It’s simple. Not everyone is right, but we’ve been telling people for a few decades now that they are.

I wish people understood that sometimes what’s right for me IS right for you.

I wish we would realize that the freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom from religion. It was meant to keep the government from telling us who or what to worship.

And by misinterpreting, we now have the government saying who, what, where, when and how to worship.

I wish people understood that the separation of Church and state wasn’t intended to keep church out of the state. It was meant to keep the state out of the church. (See freedom of religion wish)

I wish our country still had a fear of God. And by that I mean a respect for. God’s not out to get us.

Yeah, I believe in Him, and I know a lot of people don’t. I know many have other faiths. For anyone that doesn’t want to worship God, or any god. Don’t. You have the right not to worship. And nobody is making you. Chill out. Relax.

But it’s plain to see, that this country was better off when there was a stronger fear of God.

It gave us a backbone. It gave us a moral compass. It provided safety and comfort. It provided strength. It provided guidance.

Look at our world and tell me you don’t wish we had more of those things.

I love this game!

What do doggies do?

Ruff.

What do kitties do?

Meow.

What do cows do?

Moooo.

What do Tigers do?

Beeseball.

I was probably 2 years old, but thus began my love affair with the great American past time. Before whining and complaining became the great American past time.

The Tigers’ magical run in 2006 restored my love of the game. From the early 90’s until then, baseball to me was more like a pretty good acquaintance that you could talk all night with when they stopped by, but if you didn’t see them, you didn’t miss them.

Secretly, I was jealous of the cities like Seattle, Atlanta and Cleveland that had baseball come back from the grave in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Those were the teams I laughed at when I was a kid. Shoot, even Boston and New York didn’t do too much from 1982 until their recent dominance.

The lean Detroit baseball years perhaps gave me some perspective. I’m a homer. I love me some Kool-Aid and cornbread, but I’m a realist.

You win some. You lose some. And by the way, sometimes the other team is better than you. And even if they aren’t sometimes the other team plays just good enough to beat you in that game or that series.

That’s why you play the game.

It was brought to my attention again that baseball is a game of failure. Failing 7 out of 10 times makes you and all-star. Failing 2 out of 3 times makes you a hall of famer. So often we sit back and pick apart every play and every pitch.

“Why did he throw there?”

“Why did he swing at that?”

“He should’ve…”

“Why isn’t Verlander pitching?”

It seems we’re all armchair quarterbacks…er, armchair coaches anymore. I’ve been there. But life has enough stress in it these days for us to now want to manage and scream at a team on the television.

Up until a couple years ago, that’s how I ended a lot of my sports nights. Between the Tigers and Pistons, I had 244 days and evenings (not including playoffs) of additional stress. It would be tough to sleep.

“Why didn’t he throw there?”

“Why did he do that?”

But recently, I’ve discovered the secret to enjoying watching baseball…more specifically, playoff baseball.

Just enjoy it.

If you’re watching playoff baseball, your team is one of only 8 that made it to the playoffs. The other 24 teams are watching your team play.

Enjoy watching your team play another good team. But realize, it’s not supposed to be easy. It’s the playoffs!

As a Detroiter, enjoy the fact that your owner spends enough to have had a competitive team most of the last 5 years. Enjoy the fact that the team doesn’t do a 1 year spending spree, to have it all blow up and then trades everyone starting a 10 year famine for quality baseball.

Enjoy the fact that you aren’t a small market team who will rarely get a chance to see playoff baseball live.

Enjoy the fact that you have arguably the best pitcher and hitter in baseball playing on your team…and they are signed long term.

Enjoy watching Brandon Inge. I usually don’t, but even though he’s been awful more than awesome, he’s always giving 110%.

Even though it’s been about every 20 years, enjoy the fact that Detroit baseball has a long and storied tradition. My boys will be cheering Cabby and JV. I cheered for Gibby and Tram. My dad cheered Rocky and Kaline. His dad cheered Mickey and Hank. His dad cheered Cobb.

And with that enjoy the fact that 8 cities have never had a World Series winning team to cheer for. And we’ve been able to cheer for four!

Enjoy the old English “D”. The world famous logo, up there with the overlapped “NY”.
Enjoy the fact that your team makes New York sweat.

Thirty some years after “What do Tigers do?” I spend these evenings with my boys in the front room screaming “Go Tigers!” and throwing the baseball around. We get out our “glubs” (gloves) and the whole nine.

“Here’s the windup, and the pitch..” is a game in which Grant pats the ball much like a quarterback surveying the field for an open receiver, and then adding a Jack Morris leg kick before releasing his unhittable 19 mph fastball under my chin.
And then I charge and tackle the pitcher like any good hitter who was brushed back would do!

Man, do I enjoy this!

I love this game…Oh wait. That’s the NBA.

Maybe baseball can borrow the slogan while the NBA is locked out?

Communication without consequence

I’m almost ready to boycott facebook.

I like the concept. I like being able to see what friends and family are doing. I like re-connecting with old friends.

But I’m tired of the constant “name your own” ville updates. I’m tired of seeing horoscopes and love tests, and 27 videos of someones favorite songs. You may like them and it may be good music, but it doesn’t need to clutter my wall.

I’m tired of hearing how many times you visit Starbucks during the day.

I’m tired of knowing every stop or every location you’re at during the day.

I’m tired of the “Re-post if …..” Because I do care, and I do love my mom, but I don’t have to repost it show it. How about you tell your mom you love her?

I’m tired of people’s everyday comments that are overexaggerated and downright sensationalized. People are entitled to their feelings, but I don’t need to know every single one of them. And not everything is amazing or unbelieveable.

I’m tired the rant clearly aimed at someone, but we don’t name them….”I’m sooo done with blah blah blah.”

More than anything, I’m tired of the shoot from the hip rants that most facebookers do these days. For example….As much as I disagreed with the Casey Anthony verdict, it is what it is. A bitter, scathing, sarcastic facebook post or status does absolutely nothing to change what happened.

I was most appalled when a good friend weighed in on someone else’s facebook post on the issue. All she said was, and I’m paraphrasing, “That’s the problem with circumstantial evidence…..”

You would’ve thought she said something about someone’s mother.

It’s uncalled for. Just as much as you had the right to be rude, she had the right to give her opinion. Especially in a public forum. Don’t post it if you don’t want a response. And by the way, you might get a response you don’t like. Go figure.

The problem with facebook and social networking these days it it allows for communciation without consequence because it’s not face to face. Type it, hit enter, and there it is. No repercussions. And if you don’t like it, I blow you up in a subsequent post, or I just “unfriend” you. There really is no confrontation. All we’re really doing is hiding behind a keyboard and monitor.

I miss the days of “Don’t speak unless spoken to.” Better yet, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Social networking has given us a forum, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for manners or etiquette. Everyone’s a comedian. Everyone’s a critic.

Again, the Casey Anthony thing was just out of control. It was apalling the way people responded to the Casey Anthony verdict. It made me long for the days of a (insert news channel here) helicopter follow a white Bronco down a California freeway. I remember gathering in the university center to watch the OJ verdict, and the gasp throughout the room when it was read.

And then people talked. There was conversation.

“Can you believe it?”

“No way.”

“Wow.”

No one had the guts to tell a stranger that they hoped OJ died on his way home and that he and his defense burned in hell.

I wrote several months ago how unconnected we are in a society that’s supposed to be more connected and networked than ever. This is just another example.

Thanks to social networking we feel like we’re stars. The world can see and hear our views. It’s like we mean something. It seems our self worth is tied up in the number of facebook friends we have or the number of people that follow us on twitter.

It’s a predicament for me. I’m not sure if I want to unfriend the guilty parties, or hope that they ease up. But they’re my friends so it’s a tough spot to be in. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many facebook friends I have. So if I gotta do what I gotta do…

Oh, the irony as I’m using a blog and facebook to write my thoughts.

Unruly Fans Ruining Sports?

I was able to listen to a couple of great topics on sports radio recently. One of the better topics was unruly fans, the amount of alcohol they’re taking in and its effects on fans at sporting events.

People called in with a variety of responses, mostly telling their own person bad experiences with drunk fans. From people leaving in the first inning of a baseball game, or the beating of a fan in LA, there were many awful stories.

No one really called in with an answer, but perhaps it’s because it’s the reasons and answers no one wants to hear. Respect for other people isn’t even an option any more. And money drives everything in sports.

As far as drunk fans….it’s gone from bad to worse really quickly. As long as stadiums are getting $8 a pop for beer, it isn’t going to change. And as long as they draw big numbers with half off beer nights, half off ticket nights or college night…it isn’t going to change.

For sports at the League office level, or home team level, it’s all about the Benjamins, Baby. For many fans, the special event nights or even games in general, it’s just a reason to party and get wasted.

I have a hard time taking my wife and young boys to games anymore. I want to. I love sports and specifically going to the ballpark. But I fear for what they will hear, see, or be subject to. I’ve had more than one experience where an over indulged fan is vomiting his insides out.

I’ve been at basketball games where people near me freely dropped “F” bombs like there was a quota on how many they had to use in a 5 minute period.

Yeah. That’s why I came to the game. I shouldn’t be subject to that.

I shouldn’t be subject to foul language in front of me or my family. I don’t need to see stumbling fans that had too much to drink by the 3rd inning. And I shouldn’t have to worry about my safety if I have to defend myself or my family from the idiocy or ask someone to please clean up their language.

The thing is, the drunk guy doesn’ t care that my young son shouldn’t hear those words. The drunk guys don’t care that I have to worry about my wife being hit on or worry for her safety because he’s full of liquid courage. I shouldn’t have to worry about a fight breaking out because dudes have had too much to drink.

Paying for the ticket doesn’t give them the right to do any of that. They’ll say it does, but that’s my point. People today care only about themselves. Oh and by the way, I paid for my ticket too. When does your right trump my right to enjoy an evening with my family?

When I was growing up, my dad had to worry about the drunks outside of the stadiums, not the drunks inside the stadium. He worried about our safety between the ballpark and the car, not with the guy right behind us or in front of us. It wasn’t that long ago if someone did get out of control, they would either see us kids and apologize. Or my dad would say something and they’d stop. If it came to getting an usher, it was too far. And fans listened to the ushers.

Not nowadays. What’s an usher going to do? They just get cussed out too.

Here are my options. I can go to the cheap seats. But the biggest issue is in the cheap seats. Whether cheaper seats leaves more money for booze, or draws the “true” fan, it gets crazy out there. Can’t take the family there.

I could go to the nice seats, but can’t afford tickets for the whole family without dipping into my life savings.

Or I don’t go. Which is really disappointing because I love going to the ballpark. And my boys love baseball.

How about this? You go and enjoy the game. Fine, have a beer or two. I don’t know how you can enjoy a beer that cost nearly $10, but have at it. Have a good time. But more than that respect the other fans and their families. We paid our hard earned money to enjoy our night as well.

How connected are we really?

I just heard another story of a teenage suicide, and this one hit closer to home. The young man went to school with my cousins. Several members of my family, adults and teenagers, probably know the young man, and perhaps very well.

And it happened at Christian school….

I think sometimes we Christians are oblivious to what’s really going on in the world. I think we have all the right intentions, but maybe we’re going about it all the wrong ways?

Nowadays, we’ll come up with a program to address an issue. We hold brainstorming sessions, come up with clever names, come up with a launch date, invite people to the first meeting that includes food or snacks, talk of the “vision”, and grow the program…

I’m guilty of it. But I’m starting to question the methodology now.

How much time do we waste setting something up when all we really need to do is be there?

The more I think about it, the more I realize how unconnected we’ve become. Facebook, text, email, Instant Messaging, Skype which covers about 10 years of rapid communication technology bring us together in theory.

But in reality, we’re in our homes sitting behind a computer. Or out and using our “wireless device” to keep in touch.

The thing is we aren’t “touching”. We’re keeping in touch, but we’re really out of touch. This world is farther apart then it’s ever been.

As I grow older the more I realize the value and importance of a touch. A pat on the back. A high five. A good firm handshake. A hug.

Can’t do that via Wi-Fi.

I used to be afraid of what the future holds for us…for our country. For our world. I still am, but now I realize I’m only afraid because of how our we’re raising this generation. We’ve failed the kids who are coming up today.

I have to wonder how much longer we’re going to keep running the way we run these days. In many cases, kids are growing up in a broken home or they’re growing up in a 2 income home that leaves little time for “Johnny.” Some parents can pull off the 2 income thing, because they’re children are still a priority. But others….career and wealth are more important. They replace the love with things and technology.

Nowadays, we have more things, but so much less love.

Johnny will get the cool new phone with unlimited text and talk. Mom and Dad will feel better because they can call or text him at any time. It eases their minds because now they can talk to him, but there’s no real connection.

How about this? Family communication was originally “wireless” anyways. You sat down and talked. No wires. No phone. Just talking. Unlimited minutes too. It wasn’t $20 to add a line.

I’m devastated by the little I know of the young man who took his life. I’m sure he had friends and family to talk to, even if he didn’t know it. What drives someone with so much to live for to that point? Or simply….Why?

Maybe all he needed was one more hug. Maybe all he needed was a friend to stand up for him. Maybe he needed to be laughed with, not laughed at.

But I can tell you this…kid’s today don’t need another program. They don’t need a Facebook message. They only need…and want… love. They’re crying out for it. Will we stop planning the next program to help them and instead, get out of our meetings, leave work early at 5, and put down our wireless device long enough and soon enough to hear them?

Take a step back, look and listen to what’s going on. It’s bad out there. No way to sugarcoat it. But we have to stop looking at schools and programs to help and save our kids. Schools are running out of money, and programs cost money. How can we expect them to help?

It starts at home and it starts with us.

Goodbye Old Friend

Today was day I thought I'd never see. Today I had to say farewell to my dog Tiger.

In a way, it was becoming more and more expected. At the same time, Tiger had lived through so many things. As Mom said today, "I always thought he was invincible."

Time and health caught up to him recently. It was becoming harder for him to walk and jump. Those of you that knew Tiger know how much he like to RUN and JUMP. His sight and hearing began to fail in the last year too.

So over the six months or so, he was less like the Tiger we knew.

Still that Tiger was always in there. He could always seem to drum enough energy to play "bally-bally", the game he invented with my Dad. It involved 2 tennis balls because Tiger was too stubborn to give up the one in his mouth and my Dad was too stubborn to teach him how to give up the one in his mouth. Bally was Tiger's life. Like I said, he always found the health and energy to play his favorite game. It was like he could see better, hear better, and run like a 3 year old dog in his prime whenever the tennis balls were being thrown.

Over the last year, Mom and Dad would tell me how he seemed to be aging. Yet, when we'd come over with our dog Kobe, they said it was like he had spring in his step again. I thought maybe just the loneliness of being at home without kids or other animals was dragging him down.

Turns out that wasn't the case.

This past weekend we got a call from Dad saying Tiger's back and legs seemed to really be bothering him. He wouldn't run. He wouldn't jump. He'd had back issues before, but medication and rest always seemed to help. This time, rest didn't help. So Monday night we decided we should take him to the Vet to have it checked out.

I was at work, so Dad took him. He called me at 1pm and the prognosis wasn't good. They muzzled him, as Tiger needed at the Vet due to his outgoing personality and his nose started bleeding profusely. They checked his legs and it seems somehow the nerves in his back and back legs weren't working. So he didn't know his legs weren't working right. The vet seemed concerned about his nose, because it was a simple process of putting on a muzzle that caused the bleeding. His concern was maybe there was a tumor or something else going on.

So we made the decision to let Tiger go to Doggie Heaven. And it was a tough one.

When you get a pet and they bond with you, you never expect that day to come. Even though you know the life span, you expect your pet to live forever. Tiger was 13. His breed typically lives 12-15 years. We figured he had a couple years left.

He was almost invincible, Mom. He took on the UPS truck and walked away. He took on the lawn mower, and walked away. He took on the tumor when he was a puppy, and walked away.

Those of you who have pets probably know what I'm feeling. Pets become a part of your family. Part of you.

Tiger was that for me. When I got Tige, it was kind of a lonely time in my life. He came right in and became my best friend. A few years ago, I was doing some journaling about key moments in my life. Getting Tiger was one of them. Here's what I wrote:

"I saw a phrase one time that said God and dog have the same letters, and they're both man's best friend. So true in my case. December of 1997, I got my best friend Tiger. Ever since my last dog died, I wanted a Jack Russell Terrier. After several years of waiting, I got my JRT."

"I knew I'd name him Tiger from the start. I loved golf and wanted to give a golf name. Tiger Woods was my favorite golfer and the name fit. I drove all the way to Port Austin to get him, and when I saw him I knew he was the one I wanted. His nose was half pink and half black and he had 2 brown spots on his eyes. When I saw him I knew he was feisty as he was dragging his brother around the cage. On the way home, he tried to get out of the box. He was the Tiger I named him."

"Needless to say, we were best friends right off the bat. He slept with me, and we played all the time. He stole the heart of the family. He is the life of the house. He plays when we need to be happy. He cuddles when we need warmth and love. He's the greatest."

The drive from work to the vet was tough, man. You try to tell yourself it's just an animal, but they are part of your life. A 40 minute drive was like watching 13 years of memories go through your mind.

He'd been a part of so many things in my life. There really isn't room in this blog to mention it all. From college graduation, to dating relationships and break-ups, to frisbee, and climbing trees, and taking on UPS trucks and lawn mowers. He approved of my future wife, and she adopted him as her own. Strangely that was important to me when we were dating.

He'd been there through so much but brought so much joy and happiness to us.

So many great memories, unfortunately my last one is the worst one. When I finally got to the Vet, I got to spend a couple minutes alone with him. I wanted so badly to have him put his paws on my chest and look at me, like he did so many times of the last 13 years. I wanted so badly to lay on my back and have him lay on my chest. It always calmed us both down.

But this time I couldn't do that. He couldn't do that. His legs weren't strong enough, his nose was bleeding and he wouldn't calm down. I knew then we made the right decision for him, though it hurt me so bad.

I declined to go back with him and the vet when they "did what they had to do." After seeing what Tiger was going through, I thought it best. But now I think back and wished I would've done it. To be there with him for the one thing he couldn't beat. I'll never know how it went or how much pain he might have felt. I mean, did he cry? Was he looking for me like all the other times when he was scared at the Vet?

My last memory is putting a generic leash on him, taking his own leash and collar off and watching him walk out of the room. I was too numb and broken up at the time to rethink about going back with him. The Vet said it was probably best. But again, I'll never know.

I'm accused of being rational and realistic. I tend to think in practical terms. It's hard to get burned that way. But this time I did. I missed out on one last moment. One last chance to be there and hold him.

I'll miss that Dog.

I try to take something from every situation in life, and what I take today is to play and cuddle whenever you can. Tiger lived for those 2 things. Playing and cuddling. Isn't that the best way to live life?

Play whenever you can. Play with your whole heart even when your body doesn't want to. And cuddle with those who love you and appreciate the love and warmth they provide.

You just never know when that last time to play or cuddle will come. And it hurts to wish you could just one more time.

I miss you Tiger. Goodbye, Old Friend.

I'm just saying

I'm no coach....Although I did coach a group of 8th graders in a 6 game basketball season one year. It was a small school.

I did coach a ragamuffin bunch of 20-something softball studs to a softball championship. But really all I had to do was keep guys happy and let the talent take over.

But this Michigan football thing is something else. Again, I'm no coach. Nor have I ever been an Athletic Director. Much like most of my friends, I've never played a second of college sports. Never signed a pro contract.

Somehow though, we're all experts.

And according to the experts, the Brady Hoke hiring is a joke.

The fact of the matter is....we don't know! And now one of my best and closest friends will be upset with me! What up, K!

The way I look at it, this hire wasn't about 12-0 or 11-1. This was about making Michigan, Michigan again. As much as we don't like the thought of 8-10 wins a year, we loved it when it was that way before.

But more than 8-10 wins, and top 20 rankings, Michigan was a solid school with a clean football program. And during those years, they'd beat MSU most seasons, Ohio State every other year or so, and win 8 out of 10 of their other games.

Michigan loved the rivalry games, and what made them great was they were....drumroll please...rivalries. They hated Ohio State and would say it. They hated MSU and said it. It was never "just another game".

It wasn't about flash, though enough flash came through the Big House. Jim Harbaugh, Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, Tom Brady, Braylon Edwards. Michigan was a factory for NFL caliber QB's, WR's, Offensive linemen, and defensive studs. Even if Lloyd Carr's last couple years they were pumping out 1st round draft choices. Under Lloyd Carr, UM won 75% of their games.

But the Michigan faithful were tired of being clean, yet successful. They lusted for speed and savvy of the SEC schools. All flash, and alot of cash drew the cream of the crop to those schools. We wanted the spread offense. UM was stagnant. Football passed Lloyd by.

Now, us same experts, sit back, point, laugh, and shake our heads at the new head coach of University of Michigan football program.

I'll say it again...We don't know.

Remember when Lloyd Carr took over in 1995? We didn't like it, but didn't mind having him during the undefeated season and national championship in 1997. He was U-M's defensive coordinator before getting the head coaching job. His D-line coach? Brady Hoke.

The 2 names the experts in our area wanted were Jim Harbaugh and Les Miles. Not a surprise. Both had the UM ties, and Jim Harbaugh appears to be the next Vince Lombardi.

People point to Brady Hoke's poor record as a head coach, and it's a fair point. They say he's only had 2-3 good years, and only one was great. Let's look at these numbers...

1st season - 1st school: 7-4. Then two 11-1 seasons in the PIONEER FOOTBALL LEAGUE! Then he goes to Stanford and goes, 4-8, 5-7, and 8-5. That's a combined 17-20 at the big program. Those look alot like a recent UM coaches first 3 seasons....Just sayin.

Then...THEN, he has the 12-1 season. Now, he can do no wrong and is the best thing out there. His career winning percentage...68%....at the big school...58%.

Yeah. That was Harbaugh. And don't get me wrong. I'm a huge Jim Harbaugh fan. He was my first favorite college athlete. I followed him as he went into the NFL. So yeah, I would've been a huge fan of him as the UM coach.

Next guy. Great record in the SEC. Even a national title. He has the Michigan background as both a player and coach. He started as a head coach at Oklahoma State. He had a 58% winning percentage there. His teams went to 3 bowl games in 4 years, but his teams were never ranked.

Then he went to LSU when Nick "the Mercenary" Saban jetted for the NFL. His teams have been to bowl games in all 6 seasons, and in his 3rd season they won the National Championship.

All in all, he has a 70% winning percentage.

So Michigan faithful....Lloyd's 75% wasn't good enough. But the top 2 choices don't have his winning percentage. Jim and Les combined have just as many national championships as Lloyd had.

Now, Brady Hoke doesn't have the same resume as Miles or Harbaugh. I'll give you that. But it's not like they became the Jim Harbaugh and Les Miles we know today overnight. He's turned 2 ugly programs around while learning on the job. He never had a coordinator job before the Ball State gig. He left that program with a 12-1 season. He went to San Diego State and turned a 4-8 team into a 9-4 team with a bowl win.

Yeah, he has a losing record overall. But so did Harbaugh after 3 years at Stanford.

From what I've read, players love playing for him and coaches love coaching for him. He loves Michigan. He was one of Lloyd Carr's top recruiters.

And from what I hear he's a stand-up guy. My guess is you'll never hear about NCAA violations with Hoke around. Yeah, there might be alot of 8-9 win seasons, but that looks pretty darn good after the last 3 seasons.

My guess is he'll run the football. He'll focus on defense. He'll tell his team we've got to beat MSU and Ohio State. The very things that made Michigan, Michigan. From 1969 to 2007 that was good enough. During that time, Michigan football was consistent. Consistently great.....They won 77% of their football games! Bowl games from something like 1976 through 2007. No one else could say that.

I guess I'm saying the formula worked for nearly 40 years. I don't buy the whole "Michigan Man" thing. Way overblown. But you want a guy who wants to be here. Not the guy who wants the biggest paycheck. The thing with that guy....a bigger paycheck will always come around. The job you've dreamed might only come around once.

This is Brady Hoke's dream job.

I'm not saying he's the one. But I'm saying he could be. We just don't know....I'm just sayin.

Ah, the Nineties

It was a slow television night, other than the Office.

We put the kids to bed, and I started channel surfing around 8pm. I narrowed it down to watching an NBA game (Miserable these days, I miss the 90's) or Saturday Night Live: the 90's.

SNL won.

It's amazing how much that crew impacted the way people my age think and act. Okay, maybe a little overblown, but man, put a bunch of 30 somethings together and talk about Farley, Sandler, Myers, Spade....and we'd be laughing in no time, and for hours.

As I watched, I couldn't help but reminisce on a great decade. I was born in the 70's, raised by the 80's and grew up in the 90's. The 90's were great.

As far as the show, it wasn't innocent humor, but the things they did then that might have "pushed the limits" wouldn't make people blush today. Not saying it's right but it wasn't over the top like today's stuff.

Back then, as weird as that is to say, people weren't so sensitive. You could crack a joke on a politician and it was just that a joke. You didn't have a critic taking apart everything they did.

Personally, I had alot of great times. I lost the braces and glasses. I had great summer and winter jobs to help get me through college. I felt like I still had the "seasons" in my life. Summer, Fall (College), Winter (1 more semester of college), Spring (just a few more weeks of college) and Summer again.

I met some great people who became great friends. I don't see many of them anymore, but I do think fondly of those times. They helped me become me. There were heartaches and heartbreaks, but they toughened me up.

There was alot of laughing. Alot of late nights shooting hoops. Working out and getting ripped. Mondays playing 45 holes of golf. Breaking 80 for 18 holes. Softball championships. Getting my first real job.

The nineties brought us (or in my world, brought me) the Fab 5. Those guys changed college hoops from style of play to style of the uniforms. Baggy shorts and black socks. I'll admit it, I rocked those things within weeks of C Webb and Jalen breaking em out.

Shaq was becoming "The Most Dominant Player Ever", in his own words.

The Pistons drafted Grant Hill. A class act athlete who was supposed to change the game. Fill the void left by Michael Jordan....Ah, yes. I started my Jordan collection in the 90's.

The late 90's brought us Tiger Woods, who until recently was my all-time favorite athlete.

I gravitated to Deion Sanders. I just like the swagger that those guys brought. I've always gravitated or was a fan of athletes or people that had a swagger. Stand tall and stand proud.

Maybe it was because I was (am) short and reserved. I lived vicariously, I don't know. But they had fun too.

Those are things I try to exude today. Pride, strength, confidence and swagger. And I like to have fun.

But I digress. All I really wanted to say is that I enjoyed the nineties. They made a mark on my life. Now...

"Lay off me I'm starving!...Or you'll be living in a van down by the river...."

Light's not on, but someone is home

No light on, but I've been home. It's been awhile....

Don't have to like it, do I?

But it is frustrating having a passion, and what you see as a gift, not be utilized to it's full capacity.

Am I just too caught up in life as I know it?

It's a good life, but not where I thought I'd be. I sat down at the computer tonight (our new iMac), and said to Liza, this is me. This is where I feel at home.

Blogging. Trying to let creativity flow. I'm listening to Lifehouse, and I relate to a lot of their music. It has deeper meaning, a sense of something that reaches out and touches other peoples lives.

I've noticed over the last 6 months just how much I enjoy being with people, talking with people, listening to people. I like people and I think people like me.

So spending my days within the 3 walls of my cubicle can wear on me. I realize how blessed I am. Even the past weekend, as I drove a brand new car for the weekend, I realized how blessed we are. I'm blessed to have a job that pays the bills and even some more.

Liza took the Grant to the doctor, and the report was "perfect" as always. And then we paid the small copay, and she went on her way.

It's those times that I say to myself it's best to keep doing what I'm doing. Don't rock the boat. We've got it good. But....there's still a longing to do and be more.

I sit here trying to write and be creative, and the very thing that holds me back from pursuing dreams and aspirations is the same thing that always has, fear. Fear of failing. Fear of not being able to provide for my wife and kids.

As Liza and I played with the computer tonight, we started going through the pictures on the computer. We accumulated alot of pictures over the last 7+ years. We've changed so much. We saw pictures of our friends and laughed at how we have less hair, more wrinkles, more bags under eyes, more weight....

I started going through the pics of my boys. Man, from March of 2008 til now. The joy I've found in my growing family, but also realized how that's when the stress at work began to grow. Not coincidentally, that's when the economy started changing.

Every month the worry of maybe not having a job. The paycuts. Fewer and fewer benefits. Switching jobs...

I find peace with my family. My friends. My God.

People have said things to me recently when they see me...In so many words they say "It's nice to see you smile again."

And I realized I don't smile as much as I used to. As Buddy the Elf said, "Smiling's my favorite." Yet somehow it's been hard for me to smile, at least as often as much as I used to.

Maybe since I'm knocking on the door of 40, I'm taking inventory of what I've done and haven't done. It seems like it.

I gotta get there. We were all created for a purpose and I know mine is much bigger than me, than the me I see right now.

As I continue typing, I am reminded of all the special appointments in life. God has no doubt blessed me. I'll say it again, I'm blessed to be where I am.

But the moments that I remember, the moments that other people remember are the ones one someone's life has been touched. A smile. A kind word. Just asking how someone is doing. Allowing God to shine through me.

It's the moments when you are a light, or better yet when YOU are God's light to someone.

While I walk this path. As I go down the road, no knowing if there is another turn, or another pot hole, I'll be a light.

I'll keep the light on.

No more limits

Where is this going?

As you could probably tell from my last post, I'm thinking about life these days. There's got to be more to this life.

Now, I'm a God fearing man. I know He's got a plan for me. Right now, I just wish He'd share that plan for me. Have you ever been in a place where you wonder what you're doing or what should you really be doing?

I'm a pretty rational thinker. I tend to deal in realism. So much that I think it hurts me sometimes. Rational, realistic thinking has limited my reach. It’s caused me to undream my dreams.

We went out with some close friends Friday night, and I was mentally drained from a long day of work. It took me a few hours to finally unwind, but I took in alot of the conversation. Alot of it was around dreams.

Ironically, that's been on my mind and heart lately. What are my hopes and dreams? And how did I get so far from those dreams?

One of our friends said he recently asked his wife," Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"

I believe her reply was she didn't know. And for good reason. When you are waiting and trusting the Lord, how can you know? If you follow His leading, you go to where he leads you. That's where you'll be.

That's hard to fathom in today's world. Everyone maps out a plan for their life, but how often do we run it by God? In high school, they prep us for college and you start to outline where you want to go to school, where you go for Grad school, and then what will that career choice be which gets you to six figures faster.

That becomes what defines us. Career. Achievement. Wealth.

What is starting to drive me these days is fulfillment. And being truly fulfilled is going where He wants you to go. That’s what I want to define me.

This weekend I saw friends who were sweethearts when we went in high school. I hadn’t seen them in 10 years. His career is what he was born to be as he is a music and worship leader at his church. His talent was obvious back then. He followed the leading and there he is.

They look so fulfilled and had such joy. More inspiration.

Right now, I’m holding onto Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God’s been with me every step of the way to date, why would I even think He wouldn’t be with me going forward, or worse that He’s not with me now.

Why should I start to doubt God? Can I limit a God who has no limits? I was starting to say God can’t or won’t do things. I began to look at things the way we, well, look at things. By what we see, or by what we’ve seen.

Where do I want to be in 10 years? Not where I am now, sitting in a chair wondering how I get "there." I don't know where I'll be in 10 years, but I'm saying today it won't be in the same place.

It won't be looking back at the things I could have done, or the things I said I was going to do.

No more limits.

Dreams

It’s been a week since the last day of my 5 day vacation. We spent 4 of the last 5 days visiting friends in Tennessee. Though we were only gone a short time, it was a fun, relaxing trip. But my wife put it more accurately. It was inspiring. It sounds like a strange way to describe a vacation? I mean, you don’t usually go away for a few days and say a vacation was inspiring, but this one truly was.

I think part of it was we escaped our bubble, our comfort zone, for a few days and saw how life outside of it can be. When you can’t rely on daily habits and routine, things are fresh, exciting and yes, inspiring.

Our friends were probably the most inspiring part of the trip. It was refreshing to be around dreamers. Dreamers in the sense that they know what they hope to be and have, and then do what they can to go after the dreams.

I was that guy for awhile, but life got in the way. I’m not saying my wife and boys got in the way. Not at all. If anything, they helped keep the dream somewhat alive in me.

But often as adults, dreams give way to reality. And the reality is paying bills, maintaining homes and cars, trying to fit things into a chaotic schedule. It becomes a grind. Wake up at 6, hit snooze, roll over for 10 minutes, maybe hit snooze again. Then shuffle to the shower, get dressed, brush your teeth, grab breakfast in a package and hit the road for our 30 minute commute to the office.

We’re already buried in work by the time we get there. Yet by the end of the day we buried even further.

Yes, the American dream.

Somehow it’s supposed to be expected these days. With high unemployment rates, we are blessed to have jobs when we have them. People work knowing that if they complain, they run the risk of losing their job. They can’t walk away because they’ll be out in the street with the other nearly 10% of Americans.

Vacations as Americans aren’t vacations nearly as much as they used to be either. The wonders of today’s technology make each person a mobile office. All you need is a phone or blackberry and a laptop. I tried my hardest this past vacation to unplug as best as I could. I did a fair job, but in the back of my mind I knew the workload when I returned would be huge.

I tend to internalize as not to be a complainer. I keep it all in so I don't burden anyone else. I’ll work through meals to get things done. I’ll work late and cut out sleep to catch up. Then I’ll lay awake at night thinking about the first thing I need to get done the next morning. Well, that causes someone prone to stress induced migraines to have a nice spike in frequency of the headaches.

And it’s been brutal. Even my trips to the chiropractor haven’t helped as much as they did 6 months to a year ago. There was a stretch in the spring of 2009 where I went migraine free for a month. These days, I’m lucky if I only have 1 a week.

I’ve had CAT scans and MRI’s. Everything comes back normal. Doctors have prescribed muscle relaxers and beta blockers to reduce the frequency. Doctors have suggested Topomax for prevention, which seems to work in many patients. But the side effects are just as scary as the migraines.

I’ve been a diagnosed migraine sufferer for over 10 years now, but I can remember back to having bad headaches in my teens. So I’ve probably had them all my life. I often wonder if I have post concussion syndrome from times where I cracked my head on the road, or fell off a porch, or did something stupid to my cranium.

But I digressed for this reason, maybe if I was living my dream, and out of the rat race, I’d have fewer headaches.

It’s called a rat race because it’s a trap. You go through the maze in front of you, in search of the cheese. But it’s a trap. You search and search, but all you end up getting is a piece of cheese. In actuality, we want freedom and to find a way out. The dream is to be free.

I dream of a day when I’m not a robot, when I’m not a servant to the system. In that dream, I’m not 65 either. In my dream, I’m still a young man and the world is my oyster. In my dream, maybe I’m an author or I have a role where I help and encourage people.

In my dream, I can wake up and decide what I want to do that day. Maybe I go to my home office and write some more. Maybe I take the family on a daytrip on a whim. Maybe I drive the boys to school and let my wife sleep in. In my dream, I take a few days off to truly unwind, rest, relax and recharge.

In my dream, I’m living my dream.

It’s just hard to dream that dream when you don’t have time to sleep.

Freedom

So the other night, Liza and I and the boys went to see the Mt. Clemens fireworks with our buddy Mario. Oh, the sights we saw....

And then the fireworks started.

The most entertaining part of the evening was people watching. A festival or carnival brings out some of the best people watching one could EVER ask for.

Entertaining, but sad and scary at the same time.

I wanted to ask every other person (or so it seemed) what they were thinking. Seems like more than half the girls or women had their rear ends or upper halfs hanging out. The dudes were all walking around acting all strong. People smoking dope on the street corner, in the presence of the police who were too busy to do anything. Though there was no drinking allowed down in the carnival and fireworks, it doesn't mean people weren't blitzed when they got there.

I wanted to ask the young kids where their parents were, or better yet where they've been for the last 10 years. Then I realized I'd have to ask the parents where their parents were when they were growing up too.

It's sad to me. I really do feel that this generation doesn't have much hope. The kids don't have a chance. Even scarier, I think they believe they don't have a chance.

They know dad's not home and might never be home. They know mom is often too busy to care since she has to take care of raising kids and providing for the family.

Imagine a world without hope. Would you care what you were doing if you had no hope? Would you care how you acted if you had no hope?

With no hope, the answer probably is nope.

The sad part is people don't realize they have a choice. Just because mom or dad were an alcoholic or ran out on them, doesn't mean they have to run out on their family, or be addicted to the bottle.

Just because Dad didn't work, doesn't mean they don't have to care.

But until people realize it, a family could stay in the same sick cycle for years and generations.

The 4th of July is independence day. The day America celebrates it's freedom. Ironically, I see Americans today who are not acting so free. Their enslaved to bad choices. Their enslaved to the world they see, but their world is really only their lives as they live them.

Freedom. The right to be wrong, not the right to choose wrong.

It's the 4th of July, and I just wish more people knew what if felt like to be totally and truly free.

Contemplating

You know, it's crazy. As much as I feel like I missed out on so much time with my family on vacation, it gave me time to think.

As I continue to unpack from the vacation, I still think about how quickly this vacation seemed to move. I still can't believe it. Obviously, I can look at a calendar and see we were there from the 21st to the 27th. And I still have 3 full days of vacation ahead of me. So it's not like things are bad.

I can see how the time flew by....our boys actually slept in til 8 or 9 most mornings up there. From there, the days almost go in 2-3 hour increments. Breakfast and showers...2 hours (There were 6 of us in the condo...). Then the first activity of the day, whatever that was, capped off by lunch....2-3 hours. Then, naps....2-3 hours. Get ready for dinner, whether at the condo or going out...2-3 hours. Then, let the kids play for awhile, pajamas, kids go to bed....2 hours. Games...2-3 hours. In bed by midnight, wake up at 8, do it all again.

Now it's easy to see how the time flew by.

And even though I felt like I didn't get any time with Liza and the boys, I feel like we didn't get enough time with our friends either. Maybe I've reached that age where chilling out is my favorite thing to do.

But before anyone reads into this and thinks I have regrets about the vacation. I really don't. My only regret is that it ended so quickly.

So as I left Boyne, I realized 2/3 of my vacation was done. I had 4 days left at home, and back to the grind. My next vacation won't be til some time in August, and even that one is going to be a long road trip. So I bet it will fly by too.

Liza and I have talked about work and the hours....I don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm going to try to get in earlier, but that doesn't necessarily mean I get to go home earlier. I'm committed to my career right now, but we talked about a career change down the road, to something that is more fulfilling. We talked about a writing/authoring career, but I have no idea how to get that going. But to start, I may get this blog thing going again, and hope to build an audience.

The irony there is I don't really have that much time to write. There's not enough time in the day.

How do you slow down time? It seems like time continues to pick up speed. You blink and you miss something.

And like Aerosmith said, "I don't wanna miss a thing..."

Before You Know It

We returned from our vacation up North yesterday afternoon. It was a good time but it just wasn't enough. And honestly, I've been depressed since we pulled the car out of the Boyne condo and headed home. I fought back tears the entire drive home, and finally around 7 last night, they made their way out.

Now you may ask how I can be depressed after a vacation. I keep asking myself that. After almost a day of reflection, I think I know why.

The Nathan Hood family hasn't vacationed since last fall back when we took a weekend trip to Chicago and a weekend trip to the Great Wolf Lodge. Ever since then we've been cooped up in the condo, and the hours and stress at work have grown more than I ever would have thought.

So back when Linz invited us and other friends to share a few condos up at Boyne, we jumped at the chance. It would be very cheap, away from here, away from work, and just a time to get away with the family. We ended up with 6 couples when Jeremy and Heather decided to join us. This had the makings of being a fantastic vacation.

But time just flew as we got closer to the vacation. Work was busier....9-10 hour days became 11-12 hour days and working from home. If I was lucky, I'd see Jakin and Grant for an hour every day. I'd see Liza for maybe 2 hours before one of us was so tired we just went to bed.But I kept telling myself vacation was right around the corner.

So vacation eve came....we did our packing, got the boys in bed, and waited for the Burkes to get here. That was Thursday, May 20th. Friday showed up and I hit the chiropractor, came home, went to pick up the new car...which took much longer than expected. We left around 3pm, when the plan was 1:30 or 2 pm. The Burkes followed us as we drove up I 75....but since we left late, we screwed up the boys napping schedule. It wasn't a quiet ride up. Then I realized I hadn't filled up with gas, so we had to stop. We hit Gaylord and the boys had reached their limit. We stopped and got some food, then hit the road for the last 30 minutes of the trip.

We checked in and pretty much did nothing the rest of the evening. Everything is a blur after that and I think it's the root of my being depressed. Vacation was over before you knew it. It almost felt like we got up there, went to bed, woke up and had to come home. But we were there almost an entire week!

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time. I got to relax, go to the pool, go to the waterpark, play 2 rounds of golf, spend time with family and friends. But it was done before it got started. Friday to Thursday happened to fast.

And what I realized was as much fun as I was having, I wasn't getting the time with the 3 most important people in my life. Liza, Jakin and Grant. I get so little time with them that I really had big plans on just being with them. We didn't have one minute of "just the 4 of us" other than the time in the car. We planned on hitting Charlevoix yesterday....when most of the vacation crew had left. It was going to be the Hood only day. Well, we woke up to Grant throwing up, and decided to come home.

So as we left the resort, I thought back to my favorite moments. And those were with the Hood 4. I got to nap with Jake, which I hadn't done since he was an infant. I watched Jake become braver in the water, to the point where he loves swimming now. I'll never forget that moment. When we made our first trip to the pool, he would hardly go in. We went to the water park and about an hour before we left, he started to enjoy the pool.

So when we made our next trip to the resort pool, Jake put his swimmies on and started walking out deeper than he ever did before. And smiled and laughed. He wanted to swim to the ladders, and to people. He would run out and back in. He started kicking his legs...it was one of my favorite moments as a parent. He loved the pool so much that when we told him we were going to the pool he'd instantly lay down in front of us to change him into his swimmies and swimsuit.

During the trip he was finally brave enough to run on the playscape by himself. He started going down the big slide by himself. He wanted to walk by himself....Even Grant seemed to be walking and talking more. They were...they are...growing up.

So maybe that's where my depressed slide starts? I hit me that I don't have much longer with the boys at this stage. I have loved the baby/infant/toddler stage. So here I was on vacation, when I should have spent more time than ever with them, and we were leaving the resort to go back home. Vacation came. Vacation went. And vacation was over before I knew it.

Back home to our condo. Back home to the same ol' same ol' days of Macomb County. Back to every day life. Probably back to long hours of work.

No more hopping in the car for a little road trip. No more opportunities so say, "Jake. Wanna walk down to the pool?" and see him light up and scream "Yes!". No more of him yelling "Deeeve" or "Chrever" or "Wanny" across the pool. No more having the boys sleeping in our room and listening to the sleep. No more walking across the parking lot in our sandals to go to the playscape or pool. All those things that were making my vacation so memorable and enjoyable were done before I knew it.

We didn't get to have our family day. I'd trade every minute on the golf course this past week for more time with the family. I'd trade every hand of cards played this weekend for another trip to the pool or jungle gym with Jakin. I want that day back.

To my vacation friends, thank you for the opportunity to spend time with you guys, so don't read this as I didn't have fun, or that I didn't want to be near you. I did enjoy myself and the fun and fellowship with you all. But I'm starting to realize just how little time I have with my family and my boys. Especially at this time of their lives. We only have so much time before they grow up.

For those of you with little ones now or have them on the way, cherish your time with them when they are little. Protect your family time. The golf courses will always be there. The games aren't going anywhere. But those hours they are awake, spend as much time with them as you can. Be with them. Play with them. Love them. Because those days will be gone before you know it.

Lunch Time Analysis - Hockey Style

I did a little lunch time analysis…since the whining was getting to be too much.

Let’s compare 2 players. Player 1 is loved and adored. Player 2 is not.

Player 1:
· Stands 5’11
· One of only a few players to win a Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold medal in the same year
· Named captain of his hockey team at the age of 21, youngest in NHL history
· Youngest player in an all-star game at age 18
· Finished 2nd in Rookie of the year voting
· In his first 4 years he scored 89, 89, 42 (injury) and 90 points
· His 5th year was his break out year in terms of points, reaching 50 goals for the first time
· Arguably one of the top 3 players in the NHL at the peak of his career
· Compared with Lemieux and Gretzky
· Impressed by work ethic, skills of player #2
· Won a Lester Pearson award…best player voted by his peers.

Player 2:
· Stands 5’11
· One of only a few players to win a Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold medal in the same year
· Named captain of his hockey team at the age of 19, youngest in NHL history
· Finished 2nd in Rookie of the year voting
· Youngest player to score 100 points in single season
· In his first 4 years he scored 102, 120, 72 (injury) and 103 points
· His 5th year was his break out year in terms of points, on pace for 50 goals for the first time.
· Arguably one of the top 3 players in the NHL at this point in his career
· Compared with Lemieux and Gretzky
· Idolized player #1 when growing up
· Won a Lester Pearson award…best player voted by his peers.

Player #1 = Steve Yzerman, loved and adored
Player #2 = Sidney Crosby, hated and loathed

Yet, they are nearly identical players.

Detroit fans laugh when Crosby is called the best player in the NHL. Though he may not be THE best, he is clearly one of the top players. Recall the days of Yzerman in this town, and you will remember the pining we did for Stevie to be called the best player in the league. We’d say “He’s more complete….He plays defense….Mario and Gretzky have better players around them.”

So now we say a guy who has identical…better stats…. than our beloved Stevie is not that great at all. We say Ovechkin is the best and he may be. But last I checked, he’s never won a Stanley Cup or Gold Medal. In fact, he’s never scored as many points as Crosby in a season, as his highest point total is 112 points. Although, he has scored more goals, and has won multiple Pearson and Hart trophies.

Truth be told, it’s a very subjective argument. But I tend to thing locally it’s subject to the insecurity or inferiority complex of the Detroit sports fan. Detroit fans don’t take losing well and we discredit the other team various ways.

1. By whining about unfair officiating or preferential treatment
2. We blame injuries
3. We say the other team isn’t that good and we played bad

We pine to have superstars here, but when they don’t come we say we didn’t need them anyhow. We’ve booed Jordan and Lebron. Yet they were or are clearly the best players in their leagues at their times. We’ve run stars like Grant Hill out of town because they weren’t “tough” enough. We whine when superstars don’t come to Detroit as a free agent. When we lose to them, it’s because we don’t have superstars. When we beat them it’s because they really aren’t superstars. We’ve often made it clear in this town that we don’t like superstars, and with that we underrate how good superstars actually are. We take pride in tough, gritty players, and from what I can read Crosby is that, but with a lot of skill too.

So why is Crosby overrated in our minds? Look at the stats. Look at the accomplishments. Line by line they are the same or better than “The Captain’s”. I think I could also argue that scoring is tougher these days than in the glory days of numbers 99, 66 and 19. So doesn’t that make Crosby’s numbers better? I tend to think that if we had Crosby in Detroit we’d love him. We’d argue that he is one of the best and that Ovechkin isn’t because of Ovechkin hasn’t won anything yet. That’s what we said about Jordan until he won 6 titles. That’s what we said about Lebron till the Cavs rolled through Detroit time and again.

I cheer as much as the next person when my team beats a star studded roster. But you have to give credit where credit is due. Some players are stars, plain and simple. Hate him because he’s a Penguin, but simply saying he’s overrated because we don’t like them, or we don’t have them is ridiculous.

The Pondering

What’s to ponder?

By ponder, I mean think about, reflect, consider….That’s where I am at right now.

Still, what’s to ponder?

I am pondering just how God does take care of us. But I am pondering that I don’t know how he will. We put so much on ourselves, but He alone is the great provider. No matter what life brings at us.

I’m pondering how and why.

I’m pondering how glad I am that I didn’t let doubt and worry creep in and take root in my thought life.

I’m also pondering how even though we may feel our lives are on shifting sand, they aren’t when we trust in the Lord.

I’m pondering how I got here, and now where “there” may be.

I’m pondering how one road turned into several and how each one is a blessing.

So as you see, there is nothing to worry about, but a lot to ponder.

And I’m pondering how wonder and ponder are spelled almost identically but hardly pronounced the same.

Friday Random Rants

Eating like a king
Earlier today, I posted what a local White Castle sign says. It reads “Make your Valentines Day reservation today”. I think I laughed loudly as I drove past the intersection of 8 mile and Gratiot. But come to find out, it’s a legit thing. I’ve been informed that select WC’s across the country do this and they actually sell out. The y put out table cloths, candles, and the whole nine. I would’ve never guessed it.

Generations
As I drove home yesterday listening to sports talk radio, I listened to the guys talk about the SEC as the premier conference in college football. It was used as an argument about why Lane Kiffin would leave Tennessee to go to USC. One of the on-air personalities mentioned LSU and my mind quickly moved to the 90-92 LSU basketball era.

Why that era? It’s when I boarded the Shaq train. I watched just about every LSU game I could. It was obvious how dominant he was in college and how dominant he could be in the NBA. I was a huge fan.

But why do I bring that up? As I thought about it, I realized:

(1) That I’m getting old.
(2) Every generation, or maybe every 10 -15 years the next “Insert legend” comes along

Today’s media and today’s kids all talk about how dominant Dwight Howard is. They fall all over his humorous antics, thunder dunks, and overall size.

Shaq was that guy long before Dwight Howard. Actually, they wish they could be Shaq of back then. That’s not age bias either. Check the stats. They can’t touch what he was doing.

He rocked the Superman logo tattoo. He had the Superman logo on his vehicle’s grilles, gate to his house, etc. etc.

But nowadays, people see Fat Shaq. They see the injured Shaq. They see the Shaq that helps Lebron, instead of the Shaq that was the MDP, Most Dominant Player. In my opinion he’s gotta be one of the top 10 players of all time.

But I digress.

I started thinking how now I’m the guy who’s saying things like “Dwight Howard is great, but he’s no Shaq” to the younger generation. I’ve now seen some great players come and go. Guys who when they came into their sports were the stars of tomorrow. I loved basketball in the late 80’s and early 90’s so those are the careers I can think of off hand.

I think of Chris Webber, Penny Hardaway, Shaq, Grant Hill, Antonio McDyess…..Those are the bigger names. Chris Webber was the next Karl Malone. McDyess was a beast. Penny was the next Magic Johnson. Ya gotta wonder how things might have turned out for those guys and their franchises if they didn’t get hurt. Grant Hill was gonna save the NBA after Jordan retired…And Shaq. I already mentioned him.

I didn’t even mention Kobe and Kevin Garnett….Allen Iverson.

The thing is those guys could legitimately ball. I look at the guys coming out of high school and college these days and not many can ball like the guys coming out in the early 90’s. That might be the last great era of the NBA.

I saw a stat last night where 2009 has the fewest McDonalds All Americans averaging double figure points, and/or rebounds. The analyst blames a lot of it on entitlement, and flat out lack of skill. Today’s kids seem to get by more on athletic ability than improving their skills.

It’s sad really. My generation could be one of the last to say “But you should’ve seen ‘enter legend name’ play. He was so much better than today’s guys…”

Today’s generation
Along the same lines, I had a conversation with a friend the other day about high school sports. One of his best friends coaches varsity basketball and is apparently somewhat frustrated with his team. From what I know, they have a decent amount of talent. But the kids don’t want to be coached. They want their playing time, they want their shots, and not much more. They don’t realize how much it takes to actually improve at a sport or skill.

Again…is it entitlement? Do we give kids too much these days? Do they have a case of the flu…that is, affluenza? I first heard that word about the former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Basically it said he is the poster child for affluenza…the sickness of affluence, or being given too much. Or at least too much too soon.

Are we failing our kids by wanting or trying to give them so much? I had a great childhood and never had near the things today’s kids have. I had chores. We had to work for things. We didn’t have to work as much as maybe our parents did as kids, but there was correlation between earning something instead of just being given something.

What is it? Is it our insecurities of what other parents give their kids? Is it keeping up with the Joneses? Is it us trying to show some level of achievement? Is it us not wanting to be the parents of kids “that don’t this or that?”

Another radio show talked about the degrading social skills of today’s kids too. I don’t know if they’ve totally degraded, but they are very different than ours. They socialize through text messages and online video games. Many don’t know how to carry verbal conversations, or at the very least they are uncomfortable with them.

They want on to say how even GPS/Navigation devices these days are effecting how we find locations and destinations. Kids aren’t using maps anymore, or can’t really read a map. Some schools are eliminating cursive writing as a graded course. They cite computer keyboarding and texting skills as the reason not to grade the course. It’s almost become obsolete. The list seems to be growing daily of the skills our kids aren’t developing due to technology.

Technology is cool. I love it, but we can’t lean on it. What if there is a severe and real black out someday. If we don’t have some type of social, communication, or survival skills, what will happen?

Things we need to ponder. Especially us old men.

Budget 2010

What a way to ring in the new year!

Liza and I sat down for our first ever REAL home finances discussion tonight. We came through unscathed. No scratches, busted lips or black eyes. It was a real eye opener though.

Money has always been something I've had a pretty good grip on. I've always been pretty good about spending less than comes in. But over the last couple years it's been tougher. We've had the 2 boys which means hospital and doctor bills initially. Then it means diapers, formula, diapers, formula, clothes, diapers, formula, clothes, toys, diapers.....

I've gone through different tests for my headaches over the last few years. Finally found medicene that takes them away quickly. That costs money. And last spring discovered that chiropractic care really reduces the severity and frequency of the headaches. That costs money too.

Add the reality of the cost of living today with all the unexpected costs and I quickly felt some financial pressure. And for the first time Liza and agreed we can't just do what we want when we want to anymore. At least right now.

I've talked to alot of people about Dave Ramsey and his way of becoming debt free. In short it calls for major budgeting, and basically you only spend what you budgeted for. Of course the aim is to pay off debt. I don't have the book yet or any of the DVD's. I have the general principle thanks to discussions with friends and family who are using it.

We're gonna do our best to fall in line with it. But man that's tough. The money is there, but the spur of the moment dining out stops will be a thing of the past. That's gonna be tough.

I realized a couple things though.

1. We were essentially living beyond our means. Not by much, but enough to where we were starting to see and feel it. In our own way we were keeping up with the Joneses. Two car payments, student loans, fairly decent cell phone and cable packages, eating out whenever we like, buying pretty much whatever we wanted. As much as it felt like freedom, we were starting to feel handcuffed.

2. You don't realize how much comes in and how much goes out until you really sit down and look at it.

3. I just don't know how other people do it. Living ain't cheap.

So after we looked at our "real" budget, I had to start thinking about what the future holds for the Hoods. We're budgeting based on today's salary, meanwhile not knowing what my employment situation may be in 3 weeks.

Now that's a fun exercise.

We occasionally had tough times growing up. Liza recalled some of hers, and I recalled some of mine. But we were alright. It grounded us and gave us an appreciation for what we do have.

It's tough for me in a way though. I have alot of pride. I'm proud of the career I have. I'm proud of the fact that I've never had to ask family for money. If I ever missed a payment, it was because I forgot to pay it. Up until this point, I've never really had to cut back on anything. I'd just watch my finances closer.

And here I am doing a real budget!!

But like I wrote recently, I ain't worried. It's hard to describe the serene and substantial peace we feel right now. We know God's hand is upon us. His word says He'll never leave us or forsake us. I told a friend who is concerned about my job situation that God and I are tight and He's got my back.

And as long as He's got my back, I'm in it to win it.

And who knows, I could even end up in a better spot.

Why should I worry?

Scary Christmas

I'm at home thinking about how good life is.

My boys are sleeping warm in their beds. Christmas decorations are up. The presents have been bought. My wonderful wife is finishing up laundry. My dog is cuddled up next to me in my chair.

I'm even okay after my surgery yesterday. It's official, Liza and I won't be having anymore babies. Despite the discomfort, it wasn't a bad experience. Fortunately I have a nice health care plan that defrays the cost.

Life is good.

With the extra time I've spent not moving, I've been reading alot of news. Of course the 2 things in world current events are the climate deal in Copenhagen and the passing of the health care bill.

And that's when my Christmas got scary. I don't know enough about either, but that's the scariest part. Our president was in Copenhagen making deals for billions of dollars to fix or make right our "involvement" in climate change.

Funny how they don't use "global warming" anymore. It's a crock of hooey. There is just as much, if not more, evidence against it, but somehow the media and our government jam it down our throats.

If you tell people about it enough, they start to believe it. Just like "evolution" and "separation of church and state" and the super deadly "swine flu virus". Bunk.

And then the Senate just got the 60th vote needed to pass the health care reform bill. It took alot of compromise, and the only happy people about it are the president and Harry Reid.

In my opinion they're only happy about cementing their place in history. I don't see how this is what's best for our country. We don't need more government. We don't need bigger government. Our government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, for the people. Not by people who "know what's best for the people", sneak it by the people, to control the people. We're losing our freedom....I'd argue it's pretty much lost.

You do realize that with the passing of this bill, we will be forced to buy health care coverage. Notice I said "buy". It's not free! And taxes will go up. Better (more like worse) yet, they want to push this through be Christmas Eve. Why? Because it's losing steam. Fewer and fewer Americans want it as they learn more about it and the truth comes out. So instead they want to rush it and make it happen.

See what a senator from the heartland had to say.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20091219/OPINION01/912190306/Sen.-Mitch-McConnell--Approving-health-bill-would-be-historic-mistake/?imw=Y

Scary, huh?

Our goverment has spent billions, er, trillions of dollars in just over a year and this Copenhagen treaty and health care bill will cost us probably trillions more.

Scary Christmas to all.

But I have to admit, as I'm writing this I do have a sense of peace. I'm reminded of a story that should be fresh in our minds at this time of year. The story of Jesus. When he came to us, the government was seeking additional power and control. Every person was "forced" to return home for a census. Just like now, the government wanted more control.

So just like I wrote recently, the more things change the more they stay the same.

But I should add something else to list of things that never change. God. He's still in control. As much as members of our government like to think they are. As much as they know what's best for us, there is One who does.

And He doesn't change.

Suddenly this Christmas isn't so scary after all.

Change... Life Happens.

Let me preface this by saying I started writing this entry on Wednesday before I knew how my life was going to change. Yes, it looks official that the Saab brand is wound down. Where that leaves me? Time will tell.

Ah, the paradox of constant change. The more things change, the more they stay the same. There are only a few things constant in this world, death, taxes, and change.
Change is inevitable. Change will happen.

I like to think of myself as consistent. Call it level headed,or call it even-keeled. Call it boring. That's just who I am. Don't get too up. Don't get too down. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Take the highs with the lows. Lots of cliches, I know, but it's the best way to sum it up.

Some of it is my natural personality. Alot of it is based on life experiences and wisdom from people that have poured into me. It's served me well.

Maybe that's why I roll with the punches so well. That doesn't mean I enjoy being punched, it just means I "stick the jab" and keep fighting. I get back up and keep on going.

But more than being consistent, I think it's more about adaptability. I've seen 36 years of not everything going as expected. I can't control everything. I can plan everything out and do my best to make sure nothing happens, or plan to the best of my ability and adapt when things aren't as I'd like.

The first option is an oasis, dream or nirvana. I like to use the phrase "Life Happens." Because it does. Man, life and it's challenges are what make life, life! Don't get me wrong, I like knowing. I like to have control over my circumstances, but adapting as uncertainties or things I don't like come my way is rewarding.

Adapting to things in life is essentially coping. Coping is often how we learn.

I see that carrying over in how Liza and I parent the boys. We call it our "Ben and Nicole" style of parenting. It involves alot of picking up crying boys, rubbing bumps and bruises and wiping tears. It usually ends with a "You're okay" and a pat on the tush.

I have to brag on Ben and Nicole and their kids for a moment. The end result of their style is tough, adaptable kids. That family has been through the ringer over the last few years, but you wouldn't know it. The kids may cry from time to time, but they get right back up and go.

I always remember a young Bryce, who probably was in his first weeks of running. He comes running down my parents hallway, reaches the kitchen floor, and wipes out! Uncle Nate, with his first nephew down, does the huge gasp of concern. I go to pick him up, but he starts to get up, says "I'm okay!" and starts running again. I laughed so loudly. What a great moment.

I vaguely remember similar situations as I grew up. It usually ended up with Dad telling to brush the dirt off, or rub some dirt on it, or spit the blood out of my mouth.

I'm not really sure how that ties in with "change" other than that life will pull the chair out from you from time to time. We can get rid of the chair, so that it can never be pulled out from under us. We'll get hit in the face with a baseball. We can quit playing so we never get hit again We can sit there and feel bad about it, or we get back up and be ready to go again.

Isn't that the attitude we should have? I mean, life is going to happen. We can do our best to eliminate potential pains and danger. We'll never eliminate it all. So what can you do? You chin it. You learn how to deal and you learn about what you actually can control.

This whole situation with Saab has been like a jab, a left hook and then the upper cut as an attempted knock out blow. Last August, I was asked by GM to interview for a job at Saab. Flattered that Saab wanted me, it essentially meant GM didn't. That was the jab. Then in November, the original sale of Saab fell through. We all thought it was a done deal. That was the left hook. We dusted ourselves off and then it appeared there was a new buyer. Just today, that deal fell through. And there was the uppercut.

What can I do? Pick myself up, spit the blood out of my mouth, check my teeth, and get back at it.

My mind is flooded with Rocky quotes, but the ones I'm thinking of right now are from Rocky V and the latest movie, Rocky Balboa.

My apologies for the "b-word"



And then this one:



Lastly, I've had this quote up in my cubicle for most of my career. Charles Swindoll's quote on Attitude.

It says this: The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes.

I'm ready to go. I didn't hear no bell. One more round.