Living In Moments

Are we getting the most out of this life?  It’s hectic and there’s deadlines and milestones and responsibilities.  What’s your life story?  Are you going from event to event flying by the seat of your pants or are you really taking in the scenery as you go?  It’s really quite difficult sometimes to do the latter.  Maybe that’s why memories can stir such nostalgic emotions.  Because it’s usually only after we’re done that we reflect on the good times or the positive feelings.  If that’s the case, only if we are blessed with a long and full life will we recognize the great times and experiences we truly shared with our closest companions.  I think we all owe it to ourselves to “stop and smell the roses” on a regular basis.  But it’s really not that simple.

I believe that yesterday was one of the few times I was able to just live in the moment for tons of consecutive moments.  From the time I woke up until the time I went to bed, I was present and conscious.  The bad part is that I don’t really know how I did it so I can keep doing it.  It just happened organically.  It really was a fullfilling day.  Even normally stressful or difficult moments were slowed down and felt like the bullet dodging scene in the Matrix.  And I can honestly say I got what life offered during that time.  It felt good and feels even better when I think back on it now.  

Anybody who knows me well enough will tell you that I can be a little boorish and selfish when football season arrives.  I’m not real open to enjoying other things during this time of year.  For better or worse, that’s me and I admit it.  I’m thankful for those that understand and forgive me for it.  There is UGA football, pro football, fantasy football and occasionally video game football.  Part of it stems from nostalgia, once again.  I remember spending this time of year bogged down in Tecmo Super Bowl seasons, watching football games, going to UGA games, collecting football cards and playing in the front yard all throughout my formative years.  It didn’t hurt that I attended a “football school” during that time either.  Football is in my blood.  It’s a part of my soul.  I watch it intensely and deeply and it means something to me.

That being said, even going to “fun” events can be less fun around me during these months.  I’m not smiling and singing happy birthday if Georgia is losing in the background.  I’m not laughing it up at the Supet Bowl party if Cam Newton is winning.  I’m not very jovial if my starting fantasy running back gets yanked after a fumble in a crucial matchup with a heated rival.  I understand that it is a weakness for me.  I get that it’s not a good look.  Trust me, I really do.  But it hasn’t changed in many years and sometimes seems like it’s only getting worse.  And I am addicted to the feeling, good and bad.  I love it!  

So going to a UGA game for me can have all sorts of emotional ups and downs.  It starts with planning in general.  Athens isn’t a Sunday drive location.  It’s a solid 3 1/2 hours, including about 2 of those hours on two lane roads.  And about 90,000 people are spread out over those two laned roads on that weekend doing the same thing I am.  So planning is an important and sometimes stressful start to the trip.  Overnight stay or not?  If so, where, if not an expensive room in Athens?  All of it depends on game time and game importance.  12 o’clock games are always the toughest.  It’s usually a mandatory overnight stay unless I am all of a sudden in the mood to get up at 5:30 am and strike out on the road.  Football would be the only motivation I ever have to do such a thing.  

Why 5:30 for a 3 1/2 hour trek to a 12:00 game, you ask?  Because when you go to a UGA game, you don’t show up at 11:45 and take your seat.  There’s parking.  There’s a Dawg Walk that is very important that happens a couple hours before kickoff.  The fans and the players feed off of it.  There’s milling around various landmarks to take in the atmosphere and exchange “Go Dawgs” with your red and black brothers and sisters.  There’s the bookstore and it’s powerful allure.  There’s finding Hairy Dawg for a picture.  There’s paying respects to the fallen but never forgotten UGA’s of the past. There’s finding the spike squad for pictures.  And all of that is done before settling into your seat for some of the traditional experiences in Athens like the Battle Hymn of the Republic, the Welcome to Sanford highlight videos on the Jumbotron and the stirring Bulldog Saturday introduction video voiced by the legendary Larry Munson.  It’s not just a football game.  It’s really close to a religious experience.

So I know what you’re thinking right now.  This sounds exhausting.  Truth is that it can be sometimes but it’s part of fandom when you live and die with your team.  But that’s sort of the point of this blog today.  Any time you’re really invested in something, it has the tendency to take away your ability to live the experience.  That didn’t happen yesterday and it was such a soul cleansing experience.  I know, dramatic right?  Well, hear me out.  I’m talking about taking one of the most important “things” (outside of family and friends) in my life and having it truly wash over me.  I lived the moments yesterday and it was good.  First, it was my first time taking Bailey to a game with it being just us.  We left on Friday evening and stayed in Covington, about 45 minutes outside of Athens.  The day started at 8:00 with a football sunrise and no rush whatsoever.  Bailey was in a great mood and she said out of the blue, “Thank you.”  When I asked what for, she said “for bringing me to the game.”  That was pretty special.  We got ready and had some breakfast downstairs before we made the short commute over to Athens.  It was a very scenic ride and I caught myself thinking that if I ever moved, this would be my dream spot in Georgia.  Such a beautiful area.  We rolled into Athens and spent probably 30 minutes riding around looking for the best parking.  You go knowing you’re going to have to pay to park and you’re going to have to walk.  But we just rode around the campus and watched the sea of people in red and black hanging out at tailgates, playing cornhole and throwing footballs.We found our parking spot and started walking the campus.  First, I showed Bailey the Vince Dooley statue and told her who he was.  Then, we checked out the practice field and the indoor practice facility “under construction”.  She was pretty impressed with Stegeman Coliseum as well.  We walked for about 20 minutes just talking and looking around.  Then we got to the Dawg Walk area, which we caught the end of, and looked at some vendor merchandise.  She picked up some UGA sunglasses and some face stickers and we moved on to the Tate Center to get some eats and see some more cool Athens trademarks.  We wandered into the stadium and walked around field level to see the field, players and the Spike Squad.  We walked around really with no purpose except to see the sights.  We made it to our seats with more drinks and food and watched all the Pregame festivities.  During that time, they played a video dubbed “Coming Home”, highlighting Kirby’s return to Athens as Head Coach.  I had seen the video on YouTube but it took on a new feeling in person at Sanford Stadium.  After the video, I put my arm around Bailey and told her, “No matter where life takes you or what road you travel, your home is always here.  That G is your home and you can always come back.”  I don’t know why I did but I felt it at that time.  And she got it and smiled.  The sun went in and out of cloud cover at just the right moments alternating heat and a cool breeze.  We watched Eason complete a long pass on the first drive and Chubb finish with a TD run.  Bailey said, “Eason is good!  And Chubb is back!”We didn’t expect a competitive game but FCS opponent Nicholls State had other plans and that would be the last “good” drive of the game for UGA.  We watched the halftime show and decided to walk around more for the second half.  We actually walked away from a 10-7 game at the half and I was totally ok with it.  Of course, we never left sound distance of the PA and there were TVs everywhere.  But I’ve never left a live game like that.  We found our way to the Kona Ice vendor and then the tent sale at the bookstore.  There was something surreal about walking around with Bug and hearing the ebb and flow of the crowd.  We went inside the bookstore and looked at tons of UGA gear.  We got to see Isaiah McKenzie break a 66 yard TD on four TV screens put together.  We picked up a few items and walked out to the bridge with Georgia leading by a slim 26-24 margin.  With 3:00 to go, Bailey sat on my shoulders and we watched the Dawgs grind out a few first downs and run the clock out from the bridge overlooking the stadium.  Bailey reached out to initiate a high five and once again told me “Thank you!”  She didn’t understand or even care that we just survived one of the biggest scares in our football history.  Losing to an FCS opponent in the second game of the season would have been devastating.  I understood it full well but for once, I was happy to win and decided to reserve my review of the performance for later.  We were 2-0 and for Bailey and I, that’s all that mattered.  And really, that’s all that should have at that time.We took the same walk back to the truck.  Back by the Stegasaurus, the practice field and Vince.  And the 3 1/2 ride back really didn’t feel like one.  Bailey fell asleep pretty quickly and I zoned out with other college football games on the radio.  We stopped for supper in Macon and got home around 8:30.  We were both exhausted and didn’t take a lot of convincing to call it an early night.  This was a great day for a lot of reasons and it could have been a total stress event.  For that, I am thankful  for Bailey’s genuine love for Georgia and desire to experience it with me.  I’m invigorated by my own ability for one day to enjoy the moments instead of getting wrapped up in what could have been negatives.  Parking was a nightmare but we didn’t let it affect our day.  It was hot and we were sweaty and getting burnt as time moved on but we rolled with it.  Bailey never lost her composure.  We allowed an inferior opponent to go toe to toe with us in our stadium in our home opener but in the end, we won.  And whether by 2 or by 40, it shows up as a W.  And so does the day as a whole.  It’s a day that I will remember when I’m old and feeble and hopefully one Bailey will too.  The takeaway for me is to try, though I know it will be hard to duplicate, to create more days where I can enjoy the moments unfolding around me.  It’s so easy to get wrapped up in arguments, being uncomfortable or being underwhelmed by the effort of your football team.  But amid those issues, there is so much more there to get out of our experiences.  It starts with you and the people you have around you.  You’ve got to want to avoid the drama and the negativity that so many carry.  It’s not always easy but if you want to really live, you have to do it.  And yesterday, I really lived!

J-Dub