Candid Thoughts

As I begin enjoying the first of my two consecutive days off work, I decided that even though my job is very physically demanding that I just could not get enough and wanted to shed some sweat today. After waking up and having a bowl of Kashi (2 for $5 at Meijer yesterday and with my 10% employee discount I just couldn't say no) with blueberries on top, it dawned on me that it has been multiple weeks since I have shot much less touched a basketball. You could say I was suffering a bit of withdrawal, considering that I went outside in this heat and shot for an hour and then decided hey, I haven't ran in a while either. I then proceeded to take a three lap jog around the 'hood, and for those of you who say "That's not that much" or "That's all?" it is for me, alright. Let it go. I take pride in keeping myself in decent shape throughout the year because it makes me feel better about myself and keeps me healthy. Plus, there is simply nothing better than enjoying a meal after a workout because you feel as if you have earned it.

During my run today I complained to myself how hot it was already at about 11:45 a.m. and that the fact that it has been like this for over a month (rumor has it that last month was the 5th hottest July on record) is truly disgusting. Then for some odd reason I thought about something that the lovable Mike Vagades told me one time during a two-a-day football practice before my junior football season. We had just left the comfort of the locker room and headed outside into the sauna that awaited us that was the practice field. Coach Vagades was my defensive positioning coach in high school, and might just be my favorite high school coach. I mean, nobody can beat Coach Dale Pittenger (Pitt) in the way he handled things and loved every single one of us like we were his own child because during basketball season we basically were. The same goes for Charlie Burgbacher, who I can honestly say I have more respect for than anyone I've ever played for because of how he came to work everyday looking for that edge but doing it in a way that was both fair and just, and that he too loved every single one of his players and would do anything for them (anything that was in his right mind anyways). People, and some parents especially, tend to forget that before the men and women who are coaches in high school more often than not are teachers first, so every situation that presents itself is one that can be used as a life lesson. That is why I have so much respect for them all, and that I know I am truly blessed to have had them in my life and go through the experiences I did with them.

Anyways, enough sappy love story stuff. The reason I said Coach Vagades might be my favorite is because the guy is without a doubt one of the funniest guys I've ever met. He could get the best out of you no matter what you were doing, but he did it in such a way that kept things light and made you laugh. Plus the dude is a freak athlete. He can keep up with anybody in the weight room and can throw and punt a football farther than anyone I've ever seen with my own two eyes. Sometimes you would just look at him and say, "Man just go pro already. Like seriously."

But it was on that one day in early August during the dog days of summer and two-a-days, that he said something I'll never forget. At the time, being a bit of an immature high schooler I didn't think much of it because it was just so flippin' hot out but now that I'm about to enter my second year of college and am no longer a teenager (feels weird saying that) that it means more. I believe the comment that started it all was by me saying something to the effect of "My goodness it's so damn hot out here. Why can't we just get a break for one day where it wasn't like this." Maybe some other curse words were thrown in there, I'm not for sure. But Coach Vagades' response like I said has stuck with me the past few years and will for the rest of my life. All he did was look me dead in the eye and say "It is a gift." He couldn't be more right. Everyday that we are on this Earth living the one life that we have been given is truly a gift, and tragedies that happen everyday are more than enough reason for us to sit here and think about how quickly things can be taken away from us, in no shorter time than a heartbeat.

As I was saying earlier I thought about this again today while I was on my run, and sometimes when I hear people bitch and moan about how much their "life sucks" or they "can't wait" until this day comes or they are done with school, work, etc. I tell them not to wish their life away. Because you never know how fast things can change for you and you wish you had your previous life back.

I hope that me talking about this maybe will change your outlook on life a tad, and if not that's cool too. I just hope that something someday will because life's too short to be a dump and dwell on things and not enjoy it while you're here.

In sporting news, the Reds (after sweeping the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants in dominating fashion this past weekend) started a series in Houston last night. Of course they lost, by one run in ten innings. Now Houston is bad. Like real, real bad. Their win last night brought their record to 36-73, 24 1/2 games behing division leading Milwaukee. They traded away their best player, Hunter Pence, before the trade deadline. One would think that a Reds team coming off of three straight wins would be able to continue their winning ways against a team like that, but I guess not.

In football news, Randy Moss retired yesterday as well. I couldn't believe to hear it, because the guy is only 34 years old and when he is playing the way he can he is the best deep threat in the game today-maybe ever. A fast guy with LeBron-like hops, all his quarterbacks had to do was throw it up to him and he'd go get it. I honestly think he's going to pull a Brett Favre and come back once the season gets going and a team is willing to sign him because of an injury or something like that. I just don't think he wants to do training camp. But that's just me. If this is the end, he sure had a helluva career.

That's it for now, I'm going to enjoy my days off. Talk with you soon. Stay cool.

Proud Buckeye and Sports Entusiast,

Eric Seger

Daily Segs