Posted 12:07 AM by RedSox
The Experiment Continues...

Oh my where to begin. I have so much to talk about. I know it has been a long time since I posted anything. I don’t really have any excuses except that I just haven’t had the time. These little excursions into my brain seem to require a lot of my time to fully develop. My schedule lately has been hell and my Sims addiction is still going strong. So something has to be cut out. And the muscle relaxers I take for my back insist that it isn’t sleep.

Lets start there. My back. I am done with physical therapy. The pain is almost completely gone. I have some occasional bad days but for the most part I feel much better. The weather seems to play a part in how good a day I am going to have. The days of rain and snow we have had last week have made it a rough week.

So, if the back is better, what else could be taking my time? WORK!!!!!!!!!!! Holy crap!!! I have been going nuts at work lately. I got tossed onto 6 interlocking projects that all have due dates between now and 1/1/2004. And what do all these wonderful projects mean? More meetings!!!! Yep. More meetings. My life has become one constant meeting. And if it wasn’t enough that I am starting to spend all day in meetings, they make me drive 2 hours to get to them now. I spent back to back days 2 weeks ago at off-site meetings. On Wednesday morning at 5:30 AM I jumped into my rental car and drove up to New Hampshire. I spent the whole day there in a series of meetings. At 3:30 PM I jumped back in my rental car and headed for home. Then bright and early the next morning I jumped back in a rental car and was driven up to Massachusetts for another all day meeting.

So that was fun. Then the next day, Friday, was a “normal” workday and then came --- Special Olympics Winter Games.

I don’t have the time or the inclination to fully describe the torture that was Winter Games this year other than to say it capped off a “5 days in Hell” stretch for me that left me exhausted.

On the road to Massachusetts I heard something on the radio that made my stomach turn upside down. Mr. Rogers was dead. Mr. Rogers was dead. I was in shock. Mr. Rogers was something that I’d always taken for granted. My kids would grow up watching his show just I had. When he retired it hit me hard enough. Now he was dead.

I don’t know if any of us really understood what he meant to our generation. But I have a story that may help define it.

Mr. Rogers was the keynote speaker at my college graduation. The year was 1991 and 8000 people, graduates, faculty, and families were crowded into the Gample Pavilion at the University of Connecticut. We were going through the tedious ceremony that is graduation exercises. It was a beautiful May day outside and nobody wanted to be sitting there doing this. Though pure luck my buddy Drz and I ended up in the front row of the stands. It was hot and dull.

Then Mr. Rogers came out... And the place exploded. Let me tell you something. I’ve been in that arena for basketball games. Men’s and Women’s. And never ever heard it so loud. The place just went crazy. It was unbelievable. Jaded Liberal Arts majors waving and screaming and just making fools of themselves for a kid’s TV personality. And by now, you may have guessed that I was one of them. Every last one of us there knew who this was and had grown up watching him.

That’s when one of the most vivid moments of my life happened. I remember it like it happened yesterday. I can’t remember even getting my diploma but I remember this. As I said we were sitting right in the front row. Mr. Rogers walked right past us. I waved to him. He pointed to me. And waved back. With that huge sappy Mr. Rogers grin on his face. I turned to Drz and said “Did you see that, Mr. Rogers just waved at me.” He said “Sure RedSox, right at you with all these other people waving behind you.” Maybe he was right but you can’t possibly make me believe that that point and that wave wasn’t for me. I won’t even argue with you about it.

I’ll never forget it.

I wonder if even he realized how much he meant to 30+ years of kids. I bet he didn’t fully understand the impact he made. Well he did. He made an impact on me. Even when I was 22 years old he made an impact on me. He had a rare gift that will probably never be duplicated. Rest in Peace Mr. Rogers. We love you.

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Ok, now to wipe away a tear and continue.

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I wanted to share something very special with you. I met this amazing young lady on The Sims. At first I paid her no mind until one day I actually talked to her when she needed a person to talk to. To my surprise, I seemed to be able to help her. Not by giving any advice but just by listening. We became friends. She a young lady from the UK and me a jaded 35 year old from the USA. I found out underneath all that youth was a bright and extraordinarily talented young lady.

Well we had a talk one day about dreams. And I’ll be damned if she didn’t make me believe in dreams again. And realize how little I had actually accomplished of mine. Well, our friendship continued. Through twists and turns that plague a young persons life. I was able to be there to listen and share experiences that I had that might help out.

We I was stunned awhile back when this something came into my email. It was a poem. Inspired by me. Yes, that’s right, inspired by me. I read it. And it blew me away. And now I want to share it and introduce you to this talented young lady. I’ve also put a link up to her other poems. I hope that is ok, Lady Z.

My Friend

You have been there for me
Recently on my trip.
You have helped me see
There's nothing like friendship.

You have helped me through
When I have been weak,
When I'm depressed or blue
With no will to speak.

You have been so kind
Shown me the ways,
Helped me unwind
On such stressful days.

I hope I can return
The love you emit.
I hope I can earn,
The trust you commit.

I want to help for them
And not for me,
Because you are my gem
And you've helped me see,

I should give the time
To be a friend so true
Help someone else climb
And love them like you

Because a problem in half
Is a problem shared
On their behalf
It shows someone cared.

Your love and your care,
The way you listen,
It's a talented flair,
It makes you glisten.

I know one day
I will be like you.
Because making a friend
Is succeeding too.

I will love you for ever
Because you are a true friend.
I will forget you never
Until the end.

Lady Z, 23rd February 2003


Until next time...