Outlook '08

No - this is not my last ditch effort to get anyone to run to the Polls. I'm just as tired as everyone else of our Political Propaganda. This is my annual Pre-Deer Season ramble. Each year for the last 5 or so years, a few of us have thrown down some accounts of what each season brings. Some is comical. Some is sad. All is historic and it's made for a nice little account of the passing years. And it's also given me a chance to funnel some creative writing out of my head and into the world. So - here's my Pre-season take on things this year. (oh yeah, I'm super excited that Tyler will be joining me again! It's always nice to have my wingman along.)

My GUYS...

So, one of My GUYS is about to become a baby daddy for the first time. Last week he proudly skipped out on a invitation for a stellar day of fall fishing to take in his unborn child's 2nd ultrasound. His family awaits their first grandchild so the whole child-rearing process can begin anew. I'm sure he's nervous. There isn't a manual that can teach you the things he'll be expected to know. My GUY acts tough but deep down this is what he's wanted for so long - a wife, a dog, a home - A FAMILY. My GUY is happy.

Another one of My Guys is about to take the sacred vows of marriage. Like a fine wine, he's gracefully aged over the years. Although his hairline has receded, his optimism never has and he has been duly rewarded with a beauty of a fiance that makes My Guy's heart pitter-patter like he's in grade school again. But the upcoming wedding brings with it a waterfall of nerves. Financial responsibility, in-laws and thank you cards are just the beginnings of his worries. My Guy is anxious.

Another on of My Guys was laid off not so long ago. We sometimes take work for granted and think that it's always going to be there. And then it's not. Weekly commutes down the 35 corridor from Up North to the Cities became a necessity when he decided to better himself through law school. But I can't imagine those law school bills are very forgiving on a wife's income. Yet My Guy remains upbeat and optimistic. He's the glass "half-full" type that was able to visit a young island boy to refill that second half of the glass. My Guy knows he's putting in his time.

Yet another one of My Guys was turned down for a job he's been after for 8 months. Stuck in a job he no-longer loves, My Guy went out on a limb and accepted some limited risks for his family - going back to school, potential for relocation and an all around overhaul of what had become comfortable routine. Not wanting to commit career suicide, he kept his mission privileged information. And as that mission appeared to be "in the bag", one of the God-given traits that make him unique disqualified him from the whole ordeal. My Guy's friends stood beside him and took him hunting and fishing. His wife reassured him of her constant love and current state of content and his children still consider him a super-hero. My Guy is thankful for unanswered prayers.

Life doesn't slow down and wait for us. Life comes at you at full-speed until we hit that pre-dawn woodline. If My Guys can, they will be in the woods on Saturday morning. If they can't, they'll wish they were and patiently await the reports. The Opening morning frost will baptize My Guys in to remembering that they are just Bricks in the Wall, each a piece of something much bigger than themselves. And when the blood starts to slow down and the heart starts to re-charge over another God given deer season, My Guys will sit in silence and think of all that has become of them. It won't take long for them to remember that each of us carries daily responsibilities and dreams that can become overbearing and all-consuming. And as they wait for deer, most will realize that no deer could make them happier than they already are. Life is good. God is good.
And to all of My Guys - there are too many to name - Shoot straight.
Out
Kirby