A Step In The Right Direction

“Choose your friends because you enjoy them and because they are good people…Choose your friends for the sake of friendship – their friendship to you, and more importantly, your friendship to them.  Start there.”

-Tony Dungy (From: Uncommon-2009)

            It had been about ten years since we’d all gotten together.  For college friends who routinely gathered on weekends every couple of months, for years and years, it had been too long.  After graduating, we started meeting simply because we enjoyed each other’s company, and loved the “weekend warrior” mentality that went along with it.  Some of our group had only attended the college we’d gone to for a year or so.  Some of our group was made up of "adopted" friends or family of various members.  We’d drive to someone’s house after work on a planned weekend, play basketball that night, get something to eat, take our time getting up the next day, visit a few sporting card shops or toss a football around during the afternoon, and then go play basketball again.  It was a weekend of wearing our bodies to a frazzle, but we were young and we loved it.  Often when we played at my school’s gym, past players of mine (then in high school) would join us to help round out the teams and provide a couple of subs.  Throughout the night we’d switch players on the teams so that we would all have a chance of running the floor with a former suite-mate.  If I remember correctly, we’d usually play until I had won at least one game, if I hadn’t already.  Sometimes the night went longer than expected.  When in the Quad Cities, where some of the guys were from, we’d play in a local church gym.  Nothing compares to having a heated game played on a carpeted floor, in a gym with carpeted walls.  We also played in the 3 on 3 tournaments so popular throughout the 1990’s; like “Hoopfest” (in the Quad Cities) and Gus Macker (in Rockford).  In our minds those times provided us with classic stories and memories, occasionally with a memorable outcome.

            Yesterday a handful of us met up again.  It was a step in the right direction.  Due to some afternoon commitments, they agreed to meet early at 7:00.  The time itself wasn’t particularly early, but considering one was coming from Milwaukee, one from Moline, and two from McHenry County, their alarms went off early enough.  Amazingly, they all arrived within two minutes of each other, and right on time.  We talked briefly, loaded into two vehicles, my dog Kora jumped into the back, and we took off.  The gathering was simple, no basketball; just a drive to the woods, a hike, a meal cooked over a fire, and good conversation.  Nothing quite brings guys together, and helps bridge the gap of lost time, like being out-of-doors and watching open flames cook food in a frying pan.  It wasn’t our whole group of “once upon a time,” but it was a start, and definitely worth it.  We told some stories between gathering firewood and eating, and caught up with the goings on of our families.  It’s our hope that over the next few months we’ll be able to gather again, perhaps with a few more guys being able to join us.  We hope that not because the others have to join us, but hopefully because they want to.  When I think back to the guys who hung out in college, and the gang it became after the adoptees joined in, a majority of us didn’t have any brothers growing up.  And so our friendships helped fill some of that void.  It provided us with someone to wrestle or hang out with in between going to classes or working.

            Yesterday was fun.  It was short lived, but throughout the morning and early afternoon we began to catch up.  Creating new experiences helps build upon a foundational bank of memories already established; established friendships that began many years ago.  Getting together was a step in the right direction for our band of brothers.

            See you along The Way…

Mike & Kora, Mike, Chris, Mike, and Scott

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Cindy, Jodi & I went in and saw Tony Dungy today (His quote was used at the top of this blog entry). He was a guest at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois.  It was ironic to see him today when I had recently read the section on friendship in his book entitled Uncommon, and knew I wanted to use that quote in this post.  Tony was the coach of my favorite football team, the Indianapolis Colts (When they won the Super Bowl in 2006).  He is also from the Jackson, Michigan area where my parents are from, and both my Mom & Dad had Tony's father Wilbur as a professor at Jackson Junior College.  More important than those facts though are that he is a man of character, and knows a few things about building friendships, and strengthening relationships.

A Sunset on a Great Weekend