Outside there's an East wind knocking on the cunnychuck door at 26 miles per hour. I can personally verify that as I stuck to my daily after school walking routine, bundled up, put on the balaclava and ski goggles and stepped it out. The stiff breeze was enough to periodically knock me off my pace and although I've managed to loose 20 pounds since coming to Alaska, I am no small sack of potatoes at over 210 pounds. Nose to the wind and walking sideways at times, I diligently paced out a route cut short for visibility and safety reasons. But my ego allows me to say that I've stuck to the routine, a hundred some miles above the Arctic Circle, in my first REAL Blizzard, I didn't let the elements get the best of me. Maybe my Dadd is right - for now - I'm their Eskimo Son.
Volleyball officially ended this weekend with Regionals in Buckland. The Mixed 6 players from Kivalina took home some nice recognition in the form of the Sportsmanship Award. Usually that award is mercifully given to the team with the worst record or the team that endures some sort of tragedy. Not the case this year, my lovable bunch of miscreants won that award fair and square with the attitude and effort. I started to notice a few weeks ago. When crowds poured in to the gyms, it didn't matter if we were home or visiting other villages, the people cheered for my Qavviks. (Pronounced - Kuh Vicks - Inupiaq word for Wolverine) - see I'm starting to speak it too!
Back to the award - the volleyball team that I traveled with push the parameters of weight restrictions imposed on us by Bering Air. Now that the season is over, I can clear my conscience and say that I may have fibbed on the weights for the flight manifests once or twice. No harm, no foul. We all made it safely and nobody's feelings were hurt. As a matter of fact, I would say that our portly profiles and our bigger smiles filled the gyms we played in with laughter. Laughter is contagious and on more than one occasion referees had to slow the game down and take a time out to contain the opposing teams laughter or the laughter of the fans...not because we didn't try hard...not because we didn't respect ourselves or our opponents...just because we had fun - every point - every set - every game...we were hustlers. We never gave up on a ball. Never gave up on each other.
Before and after games in the Arctic is an interesting study in the social dynamics of village life. We sometimes flew in to host villages upwards of 4-5 hours before school let out. My kids were always respectful with administrators and staff sent to pick us up at airports. On multiple occasions, my Kivalina Kids could be found carrying in packages or mingling with students and staff that they had just met. Each interaction was always respectful and ended with a smile. After games the kids from opposing villages mingle in the cafeterias and gyms, playing, gossiping and getting to know one another. It's been real fun to watch them interact and maybe even flirt. I never once saw a kid from Kivalina act any way but respectful...not so with some of the other teams.
Opposing Coaches took notice and we were voted the 2015 Northwest Arctic Conference Sportsmanship Award winners. I am most proud of that because it represents things that we all can control - Our ATTITUDE and Our EFFORT.
So, I sit here at the kitchen table and listen to the howling winds pound the perimeter of Senior Housing. I'm bored and mindlessly spinning through the world of Facebook. I've written my wife my nightly email recapping the exciting world of McQueen School and whatever else small talk was relevant. I got a fun series of emails from an old drinking buddy of mine and am glad to call him a friend.
Living in Kivalina has taught me a lot... a lot about myself... a lot about how I do my job...a lot about how much I love and appreciate my family...taught me about the meaning of true friends and how I should cut back on some of the things I used to think were important to me in the Real World.
When I rotate back for good - I'll still be the same old Kirby. The Haircut and shave will eventually happen and underneath it all, it'll be silly old me... but with a new outlook on what's really important in life.
Controlling what I can control - My Attitude and My Effort.
I have so much to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving...
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