"Tulsa Run" and Done

 

I ran my first Tulsa Run today.

It’s a 15k that’s the city has held every year since 1978, minus one year. You know of course which year that was, 2020 the one where we collectively lost our minds. The race is popular with Tulsans because it’s just short of a half marathon but longer than a 5K. Why is that important? The 5K isn’t really a serious run. It’s the starting point for anyone who wants to start getting in shape. Most people can do a 5K even if it pushes them to their limits. If you can’t run the whole way then walk, it’s only 3.1 miles.

But a 15K requires at least some training. It’s 9.32 miles which isn’t nothing. Without at least some regular running this one would be tough. I didn’t think the distance would be a problem for me but I was concerned that I couldn’t keep a regular pace. I did slow up in the last half but I only lost 20 seconds or so per minute. The last half was hilly so that’s my excuse. I came in at 1:23:10 or roughly 8:55 per mile.

My regular runs are in the 9:45 per minute neighborhood so I was impressed. I do think my Fitbit is off by quite a lot though. Although I imagine racing a quicker pace than I practice, I don’t think I jumped up nearly a whole minute better. Adrenaline kicks in when others run near you. There is a comradery with others that motivates everyone to give a little more. Until regular blocks of joggers start passing you, that is, and you get mad. But yeah. . . I need a new Fitbit.

The weather was chilly but great for racing. My phone said 39 degrees just before I left. I stuck with shorts and a long sleeve Tee even though I knew it would be a cold wait. The alternative is to wear something you’ll wish you didn’t though, like gloves and pants. After a few miles you’ll want to discard them. I noticed runners ahead of me doing just that. They pitched long sleeves shirts along the route as they warmed up. The sun came out and they realized their ability to work up a sweat.

Another reason to love this run is the ideal view of the business district downtown.  We started at Boston and 3^rd right in front of the Performing Arts Center and turned left 2 blocks west at Boulder. From Boulder the route spilled onto Riverside and South toward 41^st. This means we got to run past the Gathering Place at 31^st and come back along the bike path. The bike path along Riverside, at any point, is a familiar route for most Tulsa runners. All the running groups use it and individual walkers, bikers and even fisherman frequent it.

And it makes for great pictures for the newspaper.

We followed the bike path toward 11^th and turned around to get back to Boulder. It got hilly right there at the end and I saw a few who were ahead of me start walking. I nearly did myself. I’m no stranger to steep hills though. I try to get in hills at least once every two weeks. I tried to pace off this guy near the end. He ran faster than me but then would stop and walk. I passed him up and 30 seconds later he zoomed past me. He began walking again and I passed him. He flew past me again, almost spitefully. That cycle repeated itself a few times and I thought about grabbing him. For whatever reason it really irritated me. I’m laughing about it now because that irritation led to an aggressive push toward the finish.

 I determined to pass him up for good and I did.

Next time I’d like to run with a team. I did know at least 2 people there. One I saw at the finish line. He came in a minute after me. Him and his wife were both good customers at my store for years. When their kids were younger and in sports, they spend a lot of money with us. The other was a woman I used to run with at Runner’s World. She led the 1:25 pace group. That’s where I started but managed to stay just slightly ahead of them.

I’ve got enough time to sign up for the Route 66 Half Marathon in a month. I might just have to do it.

A Servant's Heart: A Discerning Mind

 The gospels are full of leading questions from the Pharisees to Jesus. Hoping to trip him like a good lawyer, they examined 'one offs' and exceptions to the rules.  "Is is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor" or "How is it he eats and drinks with sinners?" or "Can a man divorce his wife for any reason?"

It’s tough to always know the right thing to do for others. Some scenarios are tricky and lack a straightforward this or that answer.

Taking on another’s struggle challenges the part of us that doesn’t want to get too close. It’s uncomfortable to know where the boundary lines are. How far should we go in our efforts to reach the lost?

I had a conversation with my neighbor Cathy the other night. Her dog Gracie disappeared from the front yard a few days earlier. She panicked, naturally. She asked her friend who lives down the road to pray with her to have her dog returned safely. Her next door neighbor has a camera that records images from the street. They looked at footage from that day and recognized the thief as he walked by. Turns out it was a kid that Cathy had given money to the previous day, some homeless kid. She assumed he was homeless at least.

So the stranger she helped, believing she was doing God’s work, stole her dog. Two days later the kid came walking back with Gracie and pretended he found her wandering around. Like a good Samaritan he strolls up with his girlfriend hoping for a reward. By this point Cathy knows that he is the thief but the kid doesn’t know that. She tells him I knew you stole Gracie. “I saw you on the video”. He makes up a lame excuse about never having such a wonderful dog. He’s also has a meth problem. That’s what he admitted to at least. I didn’t see what he looked like, but I’ll bet it wasn’t exactly a surprise.

I was reminded first about God’s goodness in bringing her dog back. He is a rewarder of those that seek Him. Despite the difficult couple of days she endured wondering if Gracie was ok, the heavenly Father delivered. Secondly though, was her decision to give this kid some money a wise choice or a foolish one? I scolded her a bit for it. Only softly though, I could never get upset with such a generous person.

“Cathy. . . Don’t give them money, ever”. I must have sounded like a teacher who’s tired of repeating himself to stubborn pupils. You’d be tempted to say giving the kid any money was a bad idea. But if he was going to steal the dog anyway would they have gotten it back, if he didn’t expect a reward? I don’t know if he expected a reward but the way it played out, him coming back like he just found the dog, I assume he did.

In other words, was the money what ultimately ensured the dog would come back or did the money lead him to take the dog in the first place? My heart breaks when I hear stories like this from people I respect. It’s their generosity and heart that provides a way for scoundrels to take advantage. It enrages me. I think the Lord kept me from knowing anything about it until the incident until it was all over. I’m not violent but I won’t permit vagrants in the neighborhood taking advantage of the elderly.

 I’m no stranger to praying with the homeless and providing food for them. I seek them out when I jog through the city. Sometimes I’ll just talk to them and offer an encouraging word. But I keep boundaries from them. I don’t give money and I don’t offer them rides. I won’t approach groups of homeless unless I’m in a group myself. I rarely approach women unless I’m in a busy area where they feel safe.

 At some point in our Christian walk, we’ll have to get out of our comfort zone in the cause for Christ. “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves, Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” (Romans 15: 1-2)

For some of us, selflessness is easy. It’s learning to be discerning that trips us up. Most of us, raises hand, struggle with opening up our lives to the uncomfortable messiness of others. I don’t mean people that walk by on the street either. There are countless opportunities to do help out in small ways. How many people need rides for groceries or help with yardwork? Consistent generosity shows the heart of God to others.

Those efforts lead to deeper friendships and chances to take on their emotional, financial and spiritual burdens. The heavenly Father doesn’t dump those on us so we can stagger around with the same heaviness our neighbor feels. Our role is to offer be a rock in the storm. We’re confident in our authority in Christ because of what He did in us and for us.

That’s an awesome responsibility but it won’t happen if you aren’t ready. I think my neighbor makes mistakes by being too open, even at the expense of getting hurt. I think I make mistakes by holding back when I could help, at the expense of getting hurt.

This from Mathew 5:42 “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” I normally take that to mean goods and not money, but it’s the openness that counts. If it feels like God is encourage you to stretch a little, take a chance. There is blessing on the other side of obedience, for us and the ones we serve. 

It will make you smile like a husky that's just been returned.

The Right Way Forward on Abortion

 

Abolition or Incrementalism? Pro-lifers need each other because the goal is the same, an end to legalized murder.

 The SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) released a resolution over the summer decrying incrementalism on abortion legislation. What does that mean? Incrementalism is the idea that pro-lifers need to work to end abortion in stages. They vote for restrictions and limits, they try to defund programs that give money to clinics. They support politicians that introduce bills to limit its use.

 An incremental approach to anything is to chip away at it like ice on your windshield until it no longer exists. The hope is to make it so restrictive that it’s essentially outlawed. That’s the position favored by Scott Klusendorf of the TGC (The Gospel Coalition).

I’m not an expert on all the various state laws. I have noticed that some states like New York, loosened whatever restrictions did exist. Before 2019 the state outlawed abortion after 24 weeks unless the mother’s life was at risk.  After Cuomo’s bill there remains a fig leaf of a restriction. The baby can be aborted up to 24 weeks or more, but must be non-viable. But who decides viability? The language doesn’t define it, which makes it an easy law to abuse.

 Other states like Texas have all but outlawed the practice. Senate Bill 8 makes abortion after 6 weeks, roughly when a heartbeat is detected, illegal. Mississippi put a 15 week ban in place just this year. Red and blue states are going in different directions.  

The SBC thinks that making deals of any kind on abortion is (effectively) a sin. That’s unfair. If abortion were illegal and representatives signed legislation that allowed for it, that would be a different matter. They are also saying that their previous position of incrementalism, constituted sinful behavior. Ironically this resolution is issued after some big victories (in state like Mississippi and Texas) making their abolitionism a more comfortable position.

 They can thank incrementalism for the stronger hand. Small victories over the years provided the impetus to take a harder line.

The concern from the SBC is that politicians don’t hold the line on abortion. It’s a boutique issue that the ‘rubes’ insist on. They pretend to make deals when they’d rather fundraise or talk about tax breaks. That’s how I imagine the SBC sees it.

 In other words, it’s not an issue of morality for a lot of legislators even though they promise it is.

Here is the bottom line. The prolife movement needs hardliners like the SBC. They keep the squishy moderates honest by not letting them abandon the unborn to political expediency. But the hardliners need to realize how far the movement has come in restricting access. Some believe the easily available ultrasounds change the minds of women seeking abortions. Multiple states have laws that require a sonogram before making the decision to abort.

But Klusendorf believes abolitionists shoot themselves in the foot by ignoring the fallout if the Supreme Court upholds current federal laws.

Suppose that Roe and Casey survive challenge. Nevertheless, a state defies the federal courts and signs into law an abolitionist bill banning all abortions, without exceptions. What then? As more than one pro-life leader points out, a move like that is akin to secession. Don’t expect the federal government to look away. For millions of Americans, abortion is a sacrament that cannot be challenged. As happened with civil-rights integration in the 1950s and 1960s, troops will be sent in to enforce federal law. Abortion clinics will remain open. Then what?

Then What? I don’t think the SBC cares. Their statement is one of faith that God will sort it out. Do what’s right and the chips fall where they will, so to speak. I’m kind of with them on that.

Klusendorf thinks in strategic terms. He wants to move the ball 5 yards at a time.

The SBC doesn’t want to play anymore; especially since we aren’t playing the same game anymore. The Right likes consensus, and votes and specific language in their bills. The Left likes to throw 40 yard passes at a time. “Mandates for everyone, close the church doors it isn’t essential, pull your mask up! Immigration law… what’s that? Don’t like it, tough.”

Another big problem is how pro-lifers rank abortion. Almost all Republicans are pro-life but not all are PRO LIFE, you know? Anti-abortion efforts aren’t at the top of everyone’s list, making it more likely the issue will be with us for a while. There are other concerns of morality to fight for. Marriage is under attack, as is sex and gender confusion. Legal rights of parents to decide on medical treatments like mental health care and abortion are stripped certain states, like Washington, if the child is 13 or older.

Does anyone doubt that gender reassignment surgery for minors is next? I mean of course without parental permission.

The goal of the pro-life movement is to end abortion. Whether the Supreme Court will ever overturn Roe v Wade is anyone’s guess. The court upheld the basic right to an abortion in Casey, while allowing for restrictions. That was 1992. I’m not optimistic on this.

Supreme Court rulings have a trickle down effect on state laws. Their decisions can determine the course of legislation for another 50 years. But the pro-life movement has seen success due to incrementalism in just the last decade. January 2011 to July 2019 accounted for 40% of the new restrictions on abortions from states. That’s just the last decade.

Pro-lifers need each other.

 

Conference Tomorrow on Writing

 

I’m attending a writer’s conference tomorrow in Glenpool. It’s only about 25 minutes from here down 75. I got the idea last week to start attending some workshops to start networking with other writers. I’ve been very lazy in this regard. I don’t like to talk about myself to others and feel that awkward sense I’m being judged. Or, I feel pressure to appear like I’ve accomplished more than I have in writing.

Even putting that much down on the page makes me feel like a neurotic. Am I overly self-aware? Yes. Does my awareness lead to a crippling sense of social paranoia? No, but it does mean social grace is not natural for me. I need to force it a bit.

 If there is a silver lining it’s that this sense of not measuring up is less a problem than it used to be. With age comes a comfortability in who you are. I’m never completely at ease but I’m less concerned with how people might see me.

I can’t shake the feeling that these events are a dead end, most of the time.

But what else am I really doing? What am I giving up to spend a few hours at a free conference? Nothing. I’ve got no excuse to pop in and at least shake hands, ask people what they do. The event is put on by the Tulsa Night Writers. They’re an organization of local writers that support and mentor each other in book projects. I’ve thought about going to their once monthly meeting where I’m sure a published author talks about their style, process and inspiration. I’ve avoided it because it’s so fiction heavy. It’s a group focused on writing novels and not much else.

I could be wrong about this of course. The director sent me a list of the classes for tomorrow. I picked the ones I really wanted to attend from 1 to 10. All were geared to writing novels. “How to write Dialogue” and “On World building” I did see at least one about self-publishing. That’s useful enough for me.

 The guests are published authors in the area of fiction. I might end up leaving at the halfway point, I’ll decide after the first couple of classes. The fact remains that a good number of these attendees may actually have professional writing jobs already. I’m in it for the networking. I’ve never considered writing stories. Actually blogging is what I do but because I have such a high tolerance for politics it often feels like journalism.

Journalism is a high bar though if it’s done right. I prefer the opinion heavy stuff. I don’t have to source it as well. If anyone complains, “I’m just a guy with a blog—whaddaya want?”

 I think I would’ve liked working at a newspaper. But then everyone prefers the work they don’t do to the work they do. It always seems easier somehow. But writing on any level requires some creativity that I never thought I had. But Creativity is a muscle not a gene.  At a certain point though if we exercise muscles they grow. Writing skills need to grow and develop in the same way. 

I used to think some people were creative and some weren’t.

It’s not right though. Some have a knack or talent that’s innate. But most people can learn to do other things in the creative sphere. Writing is one of them. Few will sell books like James Patterson or Sue Grafton but they’ll get to a point where they achieve success. The negative thing about writing is that it’s tough to get over a certain hump. “When do I start making money, and will it soon dry up?” is kind of the thing everyone needs to figure out. It’s where I’m at right now.

The positive thing about writing is a lot of people give up on it. It’s time consuming and Oh So competitive. But what isn’t competitive? You got a federal job I don’t know about? Competition is good for us; it keeps us sharp.

But the few writers I’ve known are a helpful group. The market is competitive but writers can be cooperative. As fans of the written word they probably assume there is enough work and quality will rise to the top. Whatever their reason, I hope to run across a few tomorrow. I regret not printing off some business cards with my logo on them. Maybe next time.

Is Rebellion in the Works?

 

From NBA players to truckers and airline workers, a small rebellion is taking place across the country on the issue of vaccine mandates. Will it lead to copycat protests across the country against mandates? I can’t say for sure, but some event or action or incentive needs to. 

I won’t pretend that all Americans are fed up with restrictions either. 

I’ve been wrong (So Wrong!) about how long citizens would put up with having their livelihoods and health privacy taken away. I remember talking to a friend about how long Americans would tolerate not being able to work, church, restaurants, school events and sports. I think I said something like a month will be enough. This was in April of last year. Yup, very wrong. 

 I watched a short clip from Jim Cramer (CNBC) with the CEO of Southwest Airlines Gary Kelly. That airline has seen a slew of canceled flights this past week, over 2000. He denied it was due to pilots pulling a ‘sick out’ or a refusal to come to work. He talked about weather delays and pilots being overworked. 

Even the AP listed those reasons and a few others like absenteeism. But does that really explain it? 

Debra Heine of “American Greatness” says not so fast. Kelly told George Stephanopoulos that there is “no evidence” of a coordinated refusal from pilots. But followed it up with a list of reasons why the airline’s hands are tied, one of which is that Biden’s executive order for vaccine mandates includes federal employees and contractors. 

Pilots are contractors. 

Still, why spend time explaining that you have no choice if there is no evidence of a strike? Kelly also said they airline wouldn’t fire anyone. That’s a lie. Southwest send a memo around to its employees that if they didn’t get vaccinated (or have an exemption) by November 24 will be terminated. It sounds to me like he’s trying to have it both ways: pretend it’s all just weather delays while also trying to halt a rising tide of rebellion and pretend it doesn’t exist.

 If the workers are staging a protest we wouldn’t know it. They’ll play dumb about it because their agreement (through the union) specifically prohibits striking.

I don’t want to get too excited about the prospect that a genuine sick out might be in the works. But I hope it’s true. The rest of the week seems back to normal so far but the weekend is on the way. 

That’s probably where the disruption will hit if it's true.

Professional basketball has its own problems. 

The NBA is requiring all players to get the shot or apply for an exemption. They always throw that “exemption” in there but as a possibility just before they reject it. That’s what happened to Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors, he applied for an exemption and the league said “nah brah”. So he took the shot. There are a handful of holdouts, Kyrie Irving being of the Nets being the one star. 

Jonathan Isaiah of the Orlando Magic isn’t taking it either. He’s the one who famously stood up for the national anthem when the rest of the team (the rest of the league) knelt down. Players who aren’t vaccinated are treated like leapers when not playing. They stay in separate hotel rooms, and use different areas of the locker room. During tip off though they can walk through the tunnel and join the team during the game. It’s Ridiculous.

Isaiah even had the virus earlier this year. He believes in free choice and, rightly, pointed to the fact that natural immunity is better than the vaccine. There was a study in Israel early this year that backs him up. 

This will come to a head and I think the league will get its way. Is there enough grit in these young players to actually give up such a lucrative career? I certainly hope.

We need young people with solid morals who understand what they are actually giving up by acquiescing to mob rule. Giving up now means giving up every single time, to whatever the next demand is. 

 I’m not looking forward to the inevitable breakdown of commerce and good order that a rebellion will bring. Without some real pain nothing changes and citizens become slaves to whatever the state demands. By pain I mean disruption everywhere, get used to being ostracized for not going along with their demands. 

Without true rebellion we go through the cycle of restrictions all over again. We need to get to a point where government overreach (or ever the suggestion) is met with a swift rebuke from citizens.

 The simplest way through this is to just say “I will not comply.”

It might not be the time yet, but a rebellion from the middle class is coming.

Dream Interpretation Made Simple: A review

 

If you’ve ever considered your dreams might have some meaning, this book is a good place to start. The illogical nature of dreams creates skepticism about their usefulness, but the author (Praying Medic) believes dreams are messages from God.

The text is short, less than 200 words. The back half contains a useful guide (dictionary) to symbols and their biblical reference. Most symbols in dreams have more than one meaning. Buildings for instance might represent a church or a business or something conceptual like an institution. Animals can be evil or good depending on the context of the dream. No one interpretation is complete or perfect but there are similarities across the landscape.

 The Bible is full of examples. Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2) about the eternal nature of God’s Kingdom. Mary and Joseph were warned to go to Israel and escape Herod while the Magi were also told in a dream to keep away (Mathew 2).

But there is a lot differing opinion on the subject from Christians. We should all agree however, that God does give us dreams. “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28 (NLT).  

Job’s friend Elihu tells him about the way God speaks. “For God may speak in one way or another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He open the ears of men, and seals their instruction.” Job 33:15-16 (NKJV)

 What about a person with no spiritual awareness of God or salvation or righteousness? The book is written to believers so Medic doesn’t really address that. Our spirits take messages from God while we sleep. Often we see people we know in conflict or emotional distress. Often dreams are warnings to us to change some behavior or relationship.

The Holy Spirit warns, instructs and blesses us through our dreams.

According to Medic, “Dreams show us a different reality. In them, God reveals truths of which we are unaware.” (p. 21)

His advice is to record your dreams every time. 

You will have more dreams if you learn to take them seriously. I can attest to this. I started writing mind down in summary form immediately after I woke up. I still do this. Not a night goes by that I don’t have some kind of dream, often multiple dreams. That only started happening after I decided to take seriously the messages from God. I only remember tiny bits of information but it’s surprising how much symbolic wisdom can come from evaluating your seemingly random dreams.

A good number of them are personal. Praying Medic warns the reader to be careful who you share your dreams with, especially when you don’t know what they’re about. 

The best piece of advice I found in this book is to note how a dream made you feel. 

Emotion is a critical part of knowing where the dream originated, meaning what is the spirit behind it? Evil spirits will try to pass messages to us in dreams as well. Emotions like fear, hatred, lust and violence are from demonic spirits. They can be represented by darkness, aliens, rats and countless other symbols.

We shouldn’t use a symbol like a body of water, for instance, and say it represents only one thing. A lot of the symbolism depends on the nature of the dream. Drowning in a raging ocean is vastly different than surfing on a sunny day. I’ve had violent dreams were I was being chased by knife wielding assassins, I’ve also dreamed that I murdered someone. The first one was terrifying. I couldn't fall asleep after that, afraid of the dream staring all over again. 

In the second dream, I killed a person and conjured as much emotion as if I was screwing hinges on a bedroom door. The violence wasn’t the point in the second dream, it was in the first.

I can’t say whether everything in the book lines up completely with the scriptures. But he certainly makes an effort of it. The back of the book contains a helpful guide to spiritual discernment of dream symbols. He references the glossary with biblical passages for each word, all contain multiple scriptures.

Are there elements that don’t completely fit into an evangelical/protestant doctrine? Perhaps, I’m not the best judge of that.

This is admittedly a weird, unknown subject that probably raises some eyebrows. Much of dream interpretation is subjective, opening it up to charges of New Age silliness. Who can say what a dream means given the very conceptual nature of them? I think in most cases we can figure out for ourselves by following a common format to symbols. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to wake up, many times, and know immediately what my dream was about.

I subscribe whole heartedly to Praying Medic’s advice though. Write them down, value your dreams and you’ll have more of them.

The Necessity of Football

 

Friday night is high school football night for anyone growing up in America. 

 Here in Oklahoma it’s almost a sacred past time that only the bravest of souls dare monkey with.

 I seriously doubt that if the height of Covid 19 season began in August or September school officials would have shut it down. No chance. Coaches would make arrangements, fans might spread out and players might separate for a while, but no one would cancel football.

Even in Illinois, a less pigskin crazy state, it’s still football that brings out the crowds on Fridays. It’s a bit cooler this year up north but no bother, it’s the season for cheering crowds, hard hits, chilly temps and buttery popcorn scents wafting through the bleachers. I took in game last night at Lincoln Christian. I choose the school where I know the most people, many of whose kids play on the team or cheer.

Lincoln Christian (Bulldogs) are well coached and highly disciplined for a 3A school team. I’m not an expert on these things but the difference in squads was obvious. Since it was homecoming for the Bulldogs everyone expected a massacre, the kind you’re embarrassed to cheer for. I don’t mean like the New England Patriots used to do to the Jets every year. I mean like an Aussie cop on a citizen who snuck out of his house without a mask.

 After the 3^rd touchdown in 10 minutes of game time I started feeling bad for the other team, Locust Grove. I took a look at their record before the game. There were a lot of zeros on their side of the ledger. Seems like every school gives them the jackboot treatment. Small community schools suffer from the same problems across the country, a limited talent pool with little option to move kids in. Coaches understand that you can only win with small kids and average talent for a little while. You’ll have some nail bitters where smart play makes up the difference in a close one. But for long term winning you need to attract big athletes, year after year.

Some schools just won’t get there. They can’t. The best they can hope for is to have a few strong teams every decade or so. It’s tough on the kids to go out there and get smashed like that every week. Every game becomes a reminder of how awful their situation. Consistent losing also keeps what little talent exists away. No kid wants to join a team that’s reluctant to take the field every week. He’ll likely go play baseball. 

I’m not much of an athlete so the world of big time high school sports remained a mystery.

Working at a sporting goods store where the half the salesman were either college athletes or coaches has caught me up quick. High school football is about recruiting the best kids. I don’t mean recruiting in an illegal way, although that certainly happens. I just mean establishing a pipeline of talent to fill the ranks of your high school squad. Much of it happens naturally. Consistent winning makes parents of young athletes want to live there. So they move in to the area and get their boys in football.

This is true for other sports and disciplines (wrestling, band, theater) but football is the big show and probably will be for some time.

Whenever I hear some anti-football zealot detailing the cost of the injuries or the risk of head trauma I have to shake my head. Football is popular BECAUSE it’s dangerous, not in spite of it. There is a rough, masculine intensity that you don’t get from soccer or baseball or basketball. But I’m all for making sports safer and more accessible. I sell high end football helmets and shoulder pads after all. Just don’t mess with its internal parts. It’s strategic and violent; it rewards discipline and hard work.

 It’s not designed for everyone, like marching bands and theater.

But I’m for football--in all its societal shaming and ‘tut tutting’ about its dangers. No one gave up on the game last night either. Despite the drubbing the Pirates dug in and played hard.

They even found a little bit of juice near the end of the game. The Bulldogs invoked the unstated mercy rule and let their JV team have a go in the second half. On a kickoff return one of Locust Grove's speedier backs found a seam and took it down the sideline for touchdown.

At that point I had switched allegiance and started rooting for them. Not all schools can have historic winning programs and dominate the class. But individual players are capable of greatness in the moment. For that kid, on that night, during that play—he was best talent on the field.

Football pays you back sometimes.