"go get um - DLK" in three parts

Part One

Several years ago, college basketball public address announcers began to notify the players and crowd when the game clock reached one minute before the end of a game. Having been to over 300 college basketball games in the last ten years or so, I have become accustomed to this announcement, and it is in fact ingrained in my head.

I tend to take long showers, and I sometimes get so comfortable in the shower that my hesitance to leave makes me late for wherever it is that I need to be on a given morning. As I have realized this, I have forced myself to exit the shower within a certain amount of time from the moment when I realize that I am no longer showering for cleanliness. When this moment arrives and I am showering in a house in which I am alone, I will often repeat the announcement that I heard so many times at basketball games.

“One minute. One minute remaining.”

And then I count the seconds down to zero, and I finally leave the shower, wishing all the while that I didn’t have to.

Part Two

My three weeks in Athens brought back a steady controlled swagger that I had lost in the eleven months since I moved to Nashville. Some of this resulted from a situation or two in which I had no choice but to ignore fear and act. Some of it came from a forced change of habits that kept me focused and active. Some of it happened from simply being comfortable. Nevertheless, I like this gait and the accompanying confidence, and I intend to do my best to keep it.

I had a conversation with Bowling Green on the way home today, in which she revealed what happened. I won't post the details, but I will say that I think she was justified in her final decision and that I agree with it. We agree that trying this again was a bad idea, and she has fully accepted the portion of the responsibility for this heartbreak which is rightly hers. But what was particularly notable about the conversation was that she reinforced this confidence with words that could not possibly have been easy for her to release from her mouth.

Be mad or think I am naive for not telling her to go to hell if you want. It will be a while before I can talk to her again for my own reasons. Bowling Green is over. But I now have a friend an hour and twenty minutes from here. While she hurt me in ways, she preserved the positive portions of what was there by doing something that I know was difficult. I'm pretty thankful for that.

Part Three

You may recall that several students in the band threw me a surprise goodbye party before I left UGA. You may also recall that they gave me a beautifully drawn print of a band uniform layed upon a dorm room chair, framed by goodbye messages written from many people associated with the band.

When I forget why I am here, I look at those messages. One in particular reminds me of the figurative slap on the ass and shove out of the aircraft door that those who were dear to me provided as I was preparing to leave Athens. David Ki$h wrote something so simple:

"Once a dawg...

go get um

DLK"

This contributes even more to that swagger that I really need to get back into the game in every imaginable sense. I know, I know. I'm still recovering, and I need to re-enter with fresh legs... I'll take care of myself.

But it feels like something really, really good is about to happen. And I know what I need to do to make sure I'm ready.

The commercial break is almost over, and the coach is looking toward the bench. You know what happens next, but I'll keep you posted every step of the way.