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Taking Names and Keeping Score
As a matter of fact Christmas and Easter hold a special place in my heart because of my faith and the special time I traditionally get to spend with my family and friends on those days. The Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day are all special to me because I love my country and consider myself to be one of its most patriotic and appreciative citizens. New Years Day represents an opportunity for a new beginning of sorts for all of us; a chance to look at all aspects of our life and then formulate a plan that will make them better. But with that said, there are a lot of reasons why Thanksgiving is particularly important to me. First, it is definitely one of the times when my faith is in the center of the celebration because I know it is only through God's grace that I am as blessed as I am. Second, because I am a citizen of the United States it is a time when I can and should reflect on and be thankful for what our fore-fathers have done for us, dating back to the very beginning of this great country and through the present. Finally, it is another holiday season in which I will get to spend some special time with my family and friends showing appreciation to them for what they mean to me. Of course it doesn't hurt that despite what some in retail business have tried to do, it still seems to be a more subdued Holiday with a lot less commercialization and stress. For me personally, the pace of the Holiday thankfully is still slow enough that after eating a bountiful Thanksgiving meal, I can take a short nap while giving the pretense of watching a movie or a professional football game. I know for many the afternoon is seen as a good opportunity to hunt and I am thankful that they have a chance to do that if that's what makes them happy but as for me, at least on that afternoon give me the recliner and a chance for my body to digest my lunch in peace. This year when I am contemplating all the things I am thankful for and then sharing those thoughts with my family and friends, one thing I intend to put on my list is sports. Before you say it, I know that is not what will or necessarily should be on the top of most people's list of things to be thankful for. And if you have read my column to this point you can easily see it won't be number one on my list either. But it will probably make the top fifteen and could slide into the top ten if I am careful how I group the rest of my blessings. You might ask why I would choose to put sports on my list at all, especially considering that all of them are just games that people play. Well let me first say if it comes down to comparing sports with God, Country, family, friends, life, health, freedom, education, peace, security and an opportunity to work so you can be self supporting, there is no contest. But as far as everything else goes it certainly has its place on the list. What is it about sports that make me want to include them among the things I am truly grateful for? One thing is they are some of the last areas in our society where individuals can compete vigorously with each other in a structured environment and still leave the contest on even terms. They offer character building opportunities where participants learn how to win humbly and lose gracefully. Sports provide individuals the arena to test themselves individually when they discover what sacrifices they must make to prepare themselves to compete and then what they must do to get better when what they thought were their best efforts aren't good enough. In some situations sports have provided some young people a place to invest time in a positive way when otherwise they may have found themselves getting in trouble. Through team sports athletes are given the opportunity to learn how to work together for a common goal and what it takes to be a team player. Several by products of participation in sports include but are not limited to, a sense of accomplishment, more confidence, respect for others, compassion for others, better physical and mental health. So this year when you are making a list of all those things you need to be thankful for, give a thought to including sports on your list. I know there are some of you who consider all sports to be little more than trivial and wasted pursuits in life. To you let me say I certainly respect your opinion and your right to have it, however misguided it might be. But please give the rest of us who enjoy and are thankful for sports the same respect no matter how misguided you might think we are. Until next time.....................be safe!
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