a necessary trip….

I’m headed to Salem, Virginia to watch a football game.  Really, I am. 

I’m going by myself.   But, my daughter, Cortney, who lives in the Washington D.C. area, will be coming by to visit with me.  This wasn’t planned, but it certainly is a bonus, a big bonus.   

A while ago, I decided I was going to do things.  My life has revolved around work for such a long time and things were passing me by, mostly without me.  I was a spectator on the outer edges, a voyeur to life.  That isn’t going to happen anymore. 

So, why this football game?  I don’t know.  It’s the national championship of two small college football teams, teams very few people know.  I think that’s part of the appeal to me, going to an event that feels personal, not dominated by outside forces to make it an “event”, sort of “hometownish”. 

I like football, not in a rah-rah, loudmouth way.  I don’t drink.  I don’t wear the jerseys.  I don’t paint my face.  Hell, I don’t even cheer.  I just watch and think about the game.  I like the drama, the strategy, the chess part.  I guess I just like to figure out stuff.

And, while I’m watching a game, I’m not thinking about how to fit a sofa in a box, or fabric content, or why something is or isn’t selling.  I’m just a guy sitting out there in a cold place, in Michelin man clothing, solitary in my thoughts.  That feels good to me.

So, I’m going to board a plane, fly 700 miles and watch a football game.  For some, that sounds foolhardy.  For me, it’s necessary.