I can assure you, friends and family, as of Oct. 10, 2009 - MY TANK IS FULL.
This year I've noticed that I no longer storm the sidelines of varsity football games with blood-pressure readings registering on the Richter Scale. I do still care and I do still Bark. It's just that I've accepted that I am not in control of as many things as I once thought I was. And to concern myself with those things beyond my control is wasted effort. Instead, I'm trying to take advantage of the little moments that make High School Football so great: the ability to scold a kid one minute for breaking off a route or missing a block and then pat him on the back and throw him right back into the ring for Round 2, high fives and fist bumps with everyone (even the Freshmen) for Big Plays, spreading the ball around offensively so that everyone is a part of the picture and hugs in the 'shake-up line' for those rival kids that I've come to really know over the years.
But not just football.... I've been rushed daily at school. Having 33 students in my homeroom could potentially be the magic number to early gray. This sheer number has created issues beyond anyone's imagination. Old routines like passing out papers or lining up for gym class now feel like learning the NutCracker ballet and then performing it in a crawl space. Let's just say that there's potential for workplace complaining around every corner. BUT I'm honestly trying to take the high road. I don't know if I could have done that a year ago. In the morning before school when my conscience is screaming that I should run to the copy machine, while creating a new seating arrangement after personalizing 33 progress reports for God knows how many different subjects.... instead of panicking and sweating myself thin, I am happy to hold my daughters hand as a personal escort through the halls. A part of me knows that there's something productive that I could be doing but coloring on the board with my kindergarten daughter has taken priority this year. And when time constraints and testing deadlines bear down on my class, we say 'Hakuna Matatta' - because that is our survival mechanism this year. Too much of this mess is beyond our control - so we choose to enjoy the ride together.
My family is happy and healthy. Our fall Birthday Parade has come and gone with new milestones. Sista Emma has taken to Kindergarten like a duck to water. Her teacher has assured us that we have made the right decision with early enrollment. Worksheets and booklets come home daily as proof of the hard work and attention to detail with which Minnow applies herself to everything. Tyler has made the 'A Team' of the Magic 7th grade football squad. Pile that on with Band, regular Jr. High academics and the social life of his personal young Hollywood and he manages it all like a pro - rarely letting anything get to him. At his 3 year well-child checkup, we're reminded that Logan is in the 3% ranking for height for boys his age. But the 35 inches that doctors measure do not take into account the size of his little heart or the reserves of positive energy he's hiding from NATO. Logan only spent two minutes on the phone with his mother today while she was in Bismark before he asked to talk with his sister. Logan truly loves his siblings and not only does he emulate them but he makes them better people. And my wife, Michele, is honestly an angel sent directly from above. Her laugh is infectious. Her drive is never ending. Her love is constant. Her sarcasm is crippling but in the nicest possible way. She's a giver but has shown me that the rewards come back 10fold when you give someone else a smile. - My Tank is Full. -
I usually ramble through hunting stories... I won't waste too much more of your time. I will say that this 10th day of October started off with a premature inch of snow on the ground and a teenager loosing a brand new contact in the bathroom. We were late to Saturday morning football film study because of that. But instead of letting those small things set me on a collision course with disappointment, I have to honestly believe that my MN State Patrol lesson on control allowed me to refocus and truly enjoy one of the best fall days of my life.
Although the wind nipped away at our noses, this afternoon Tyler, Logan and I headed to Roger's farm for some pre deer season trigger time. With Mom and Emma away for a few days, I've been intent on creating some Boyz Weekend Memories. The wisps of snow still dusted the hay bales in the field as Tyler sighted in the 30-30. Logan flinched in my arms with each shot but quickly recovered and always with a smile. After finishing up with the heavy iron, big brother asked little brother if he wanted to try a walk in the grouse woods. We bundled up and hit the trails with Tyler totting the 20 gauge and me totting the 35 incher. Regardless of what the State Patrol says, I couldn't help but feel bumbarded by the erupting fall colors inside the tree line. Tyler spotted a bounding deer within the first 100 yards of our abbreviated hike as I began to wonder if Walt Disney was scripting this. Just like Roger had advised, we took the new clear cut towards the swamp....
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My smartass best friend offered to write the State Patrol last October. In a few words or less, he offered up that - although I may not be able to spot a man wearing a yellow hat, driving a
blue car, southbound on Interstate 35, he would bet his life savings that I could spot a grouse in the fall woods long before any of them. He is right.
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Logan and I paused in the middle of the cut as Tyler walked to the edge. Just as he returned, I sensed movement to our left and scanned the underbrush for movement. There it was. Grouse. Pegged. Thank you State Patrol. Thank you Lord. Thank you Mr. Disney. I whispered Tyler into range as he had yet to spot the bird. After the first bird flushed, clutching Bear I calmed Tyler and reassured him a friend was near. And shortly after that, Logan watched his big brother shoot his first ruffed grouse.
Yep - My tank is full. -
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