Six ate Sixteen

All about the numbers this day and a couple of spin-ups that didn’t make the cut from the previous entry. Out ot control … nearly.

While walking in the Home Depot recently, I saw a face in the crowd that struck a chord. We were going in opposite directions and after a few paces my mind retrieved total recognition with positive ID.

Chapin was goal tender for the Bladerunners. That’s right, Br30. He remembered me and we swapped stories. He is still playing but took some time off recently due to a death in a Family. I didn’t push this point.

It was his little boy that after an early game I gave a puck to and he just looked up, and up and up at me this hugely armored player, taller still with skates. It was an awesome moment seeing his reaction.

He is now six (6) and starting to play hockey.

It was cool & really nice to bump into a lost friend this way and catch up.

If we had Chapin in the first season with the other stellar players replacing Todd Mott ‘the Hoople’, we could have won the championship. Oh well. That’s how those things go sometimes. Things don’t always line up when you need them to.

Morning beverage is estate mint blend with sumac, lime juice, Unsweetened. Delish.

Side story from Saturday, 4 June. I don’t think I mentioned I helped spread mulch at Saint Michael’s with the Knights of Columbus. I couldn’t work long but I saw they had a TON of mulch and after all, I did have some experience moving mulch.

I arrived early, unloaded my tools & wheelbarrow and jumped in working in the most industrious fashion.

I only had about an hour to an hour & a half so I was working fast, furious & marter than most of the other volunteers. Except one. He would introduce himself later as Jose.

There was a little front loader that would plunge into the pile for a load and with three wheelbarrows side by side, all were filled with one scoop. Pretty cool. There were enough volunteers & wheelbarrows to get a regular, steady flow going that was a joy to watch.

Jose, this second industrious soul, was working at, near or above my own personal pace & we exchanged only a pleasantry or two a couple of times.

I happened to notice that one of the Knights was taking pictures which was fine I am assuming for a newsletter, website or some such nonsense as social media or a publicity vehicle. Then I noticed scattered groups of 2-3 just standing around leaning on shovels, rakes & brooms. I just let it go.

Well, abbreviating the tale, I gathered my things & was loading them into Silver when my time was up and I noticed Jose in the facing parking spot. He explained he had to go to work to open and asked me if I was a Knight.

I said no explaining I wasn’t much of a joiner. I would work when I could, for as long as I could and around my schedule. Not someone elses.

He said he wasn’t a member either.

Now the moral of the story.

Organizations like the Knights of Columbus, Kiwani’s, Rotary Clubs etc aka ‘service organizations’, their ‘regular’ membership seem to be very comfortable chatting, leaning on tools, posing for pictures, etc and sometimes not getting as much done as they could, would or should otherwise.

The real work is still usually done by the 20% including energetic, motivated chargers not necessarily eager to step up, sign up (join) and support each & every event but rather selectively participate when able & convenient.

I was & remain comfortable doing just this.