Girl's Sports

Yesterday I spent the whole day watching my daughter, Sarah, play softball. Her team won both games they played by a huge amount. I'm really proud of Sarah and her desire to excel at different things in her life. She is great student, she is involved with student government, she is also on the volleyball and softball teams in high school. I was never an athlete, I went out for football in high school and was on the swim team. When I go to Sarah's games it has a different feel than when I go to team events or boy's sports. For girl sports events it feels like it is for the players that enjoy what they are doing. Sport events for boys feels like they are doing it for the school not for themselves. Girls know they will not get glory and respect because they are on a winning team, they will get the satisfaction that they did good, but many of the students in the school don't even know the game is being played, except for friends and family of the players. Girls don't have a crowd and cheerleaders, they have their parents and friends and the other players to cheer them on. I am not saying it is a "purer" sport or anything. I'm just saying that is the way it is, and yet they enjoy playing. I will always go to see my daughter play, when I have time and be proud when she wins and contributes, and proud when she doesn't win or makes mistakes or doesn't even play. She improves her life just by living.

In Memoriam

Tonight a friend of mine passed away. Doctor Robert Quinn was married to my mom, he was my step-father and a very good friend that I highly valued. I had a huge respect for the man. I haven't written anything in a month, for a variety of reasons. One reason I am writing tonight is because I want to talk about Bob. Two months ago I got an email from him that said:

 Scott,
I happened onto your articles "Written by the Sea".
 I read many of them. I was impressed.
You write very well and what you talk about is interesting.
Keep writing.
Send copies to me in the future.
Bob
 
 Those short few sentences were a big motivation to me. It would take more elequent words than I can come up with to explain how I feel about Mr. Quinn. He was a grandfather to my kids. He was a mentor to me. He lived his life the way he thought people should live it. I felt blessed that I had the opportunity to know Bob. I could write a many stories about my time with Bob, I could write a lot of stories that I have heard about his life before I met him., or I could write how he affected my life and the lives of my daughters. I don't feel that I can write well enough to express myself. I will be writing again, and as I write I will be thinking about Bob reading everything I write.