Unclutter!

A odd mood struck me recently.

I am a bit of a shutterbug, and while I dearly love my SLR, for sheer convenience and ease of use, you can't beat the ol' celly. After a walk along the shores of the Gulf that featured a number of extraordinary things to see, I was reviewing the pics and it occurred to me that I should clean out some of the riff-raff that was occupying too many GB's of memory on my iPhone. As I thumbed my way through the literally thousands of shots, I was engaged in an internal conversation,

"Aww Steve, why are ya keepin' that one?"
"Good Gosh man, how many stupid biking shots does one old fart actually need?"
"Oh look, who would have guessed? Another sunset?"

I'm sure you can guess what happened next, but in case it comes as a surprise, this hyper-focussed, Type A brained old fart spent 4 days going through the pics on both my iPhone and Mac, exporting keepers to an external hard drive after filling in some missing metadata, and feeling quite the accomplished photo-nerd as I freed up dozens of GB's on both devices. 

My darling wife accuses me of being anally-retentive, and while she's very likely correct, I chalk it up to preferring my life to be organized. That's not the same thing as being sphincter-ized, at least in my books, because I truthfully don't mind a little clutter, just so long as it is neatly organized according to a logical format. 

I feel strongly that way about my devices, and only slightly less about my living space.

I like storage to make sense, to be easily navigated, to be free from wasted use/space, and abhor duplication, so sacrificing the time I might have been sitting on the couch surfing the endless stream of channels they offer on cable down in FLA, or scrolling through the social media platforms I lean toward, the toil seemed like a prudent and responsible choice.

Okay, she's right ... that is a bit retentive.

I don't mind admitting that scrolling through those same devices makes me grin stupidly since the previously random, frustrating mess now exudes the tidiness of an organized mind. I can find pics Uber-quickly now, re-discovered and fav'd some gems I forgot about, and completed the date/occasion info should my faculties decline over the upcoming years.

I am just a wee bit ashamed to admit that this multi-day process was so cathartic that I'm pondering doing the same thing with my 4 TB external drive back home in the beach that contains evidence of an Uber busy career ...

There's all of our family stuff thanks to two athletic, passionate children.

There's pics and vids from family trips and events.
There's all the stuff gathered and collected during the years at BCC plus YBK stuff.

There's thousands of pics and vids of all of the teams that I coached.
There's a similar version of my short career at BNC.
There's also stuff from coaching club teams, provincial sides, and national events. 

As I recall, there's only 300 or so GB's free so the sifting and sorting will be a BIG undertaking. I'm going to have to budget a little more time to deal with that goal, eh?

Oh well, I guess that's all part of the fun!

The FLA Title Town!

One of a million fun things for old farts like me to do in southwest Florida is to support the locals in athletics, and a real bang for your buck is making the trip north to Estero to cheer on the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles as they compete in Atlantic Sun conference basketball play. For a paltry $12, I can sit in the front row of the general stands on the home team end, so close to the action that I risk a sweat spray, but TBH, my cheering mate doesn't like that very much so we choose the 4th row. We can still smell their hard work from there!

Some will recall a few March Madnesses ago when the men's program were Cinderella upstarts affectionately coined #dunkcity for their high-flying opening round upsets, but success has not come consistently for the men's program since they were March Madness darlings. The real story surrounds the women's program with it's 8 year strangle-hold on the A-Sun championship trophy. 

Yep, you read that right, the ladies are the reining champions for 8 straight years! 

22 years ago, the Board at FGCU made an astute decision ... or, they were just flat out lucky ... by hiring Karl Smesko as their head coach, and he's rewarded them by engineering the winningest team in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history in terms of winning percentage, notching a 582-105 (84.7%) record. The feat makes more sense when compared to other prolific contenders like U Conn (79.9%), Tennessee (79.8%) or Stanford (77.3%). If you count his successes prior to FGCU, coach Smesko 643-132 (83%) ranks him 3rd behind U Conn's Auriemma (1180-156 or 88.3%) and LSU's Kim Mulkey (692-112, 86.1%). There are loads more stats to be touted, but suffice it to say, the guy gets the job done with style.

In the most recent trip to Alico Arena, the jaw-slackening ooh-ahh home court of FGCU, I was eager to see the battle of the Titans, if you will, between the league-leading, unbeaten squads of FGCU and Kennesaw State, and while the game was thoroughly entertaining ... especially if you root for FGCU ... it emerged as a disappointing 28 point blowout. Thanks to their continuing consistency, the lady Eagles have garnered a loyal following as a silver-haired legion of foam-finger waving, tee wearing, pompom shaking supporters fill the arena each home game. I'm not too proud to admit that the numbers that night swelled by 2 when my bestie and I donned our tees and took in the action. The undying loyalty of its geriatric gang has helped FGCU extend the nation's fifth-longest active home winning streak to 23 consecutive games. FGCU has not lost inside Alico Arena in 405 days.

Yep, they haven't lost at home for over a year!

Some of my fellow basketball lovin' buddies like to go to men's NCAA games because they crave the sheer athleticism of today's contests, and while I too Jones for an ooh-ahh alley-oop as much as the next fan ... Go watch my beloved Tar Heels if you want highlights ... it's the execution that draw's this old coach's attention to the ladies. Even the FGCU hashtag #raining3s touts the strategy of coach Smesko's sides as, case in point, the smashing of Kennesaw featured laser-like shooting from beyond the arc at a 44% clip. Heck, Smesko's teams have made a combined 6,775-for-19,509 (.347) from long range over his 21 years.

The only thing missing from FGCU's resume is a deep run in the women's March Madness. Who knows, maybe this year? Either way, for my money, it's time well spent!

*Thanks to the FGCU web site for the stats!

Turn the page

Ol' Bob Dylan said it best ... "Oh, the times they are a changing!"

Back in 1991 my parents stumbled across the condo of their dreams, a home away from home that would bring them great joy and happiness over the 32'ish years that they have owned. They took a leap of faith at the behest of a old Barrie friend, made the trek to southwest Florida's Pelican Bay to see what it had to offer, and after looking at a two bedroom unit, they discovered their three bedroom Shangri-La was for sale, prompting a look. My dad fell for it immediately with its million dollar view, pristine surroundings, and world class amenities. The rest, as they say, was history. With dad passing in 2006, my mom has helmed the ship solo for 17 years and it's become an integral part of her life ... of OUR lives ... and she shared it so willingly with our family. Retirement's freedom, coupled with mom's generosity, has allowed Joyce and I to escape the cold for the past 3 winters. My kids + partners, brothers, nieces, and nephews have been able to experience the glorious southwest Florida offerings, drinking in its beauty, warmth, and serenity.

Sadly, everything good eventually comes to a conclusion, and the uncomfortable decision that maintaining two properties in two different countries was no longer a prudent choice, meant that Joyce and I came south with her this winter to clean, declutter, and arrange for the listing. We found a local realtor with loads of experience in the Pelican Bay area, signed on the dotted line, made a ton of trips to the local Goodwill, got the photos/video completed, and Bob's your Uncle, the listing is now live!

CLICK for the listing!

Let's call a spade a spade.

If you've got the ability to purchase in Pelican Bay, this may very well be the condo of your dreams! The proof, as it's said, is in the pudding, after the many wonderful memories this place spurred for my parents, and I'd have to admit that since spending the past three winters here, it is pretty darn nice! I've seen first hand how much good the condo does for my mom's outlook, obviously serving as a 30+ year respite from the Canadian winter, but everyone reaches a point in their life where simplification trumps comfort and familiarity. 

The process has certainly affected her.

The past 18 months have been a tough go for our family. Illness, tragedy, and now upheaval all shaking our foundations like a 7.0 quake, and I can see the emotion of it all leaking out of the corner of mom's eye every now and again. The condo is the last vestige of my dad, and that has meant some grief percolated to the surface, but Life goes on, and we have to embrace the change else it dampen our happiness. Anyone who has gone through something like this knows that a sizeable chunk of your identity goes with the ownership when it changes hands. As her oldest, and being present in the process, I feel deeply for the strength she's shown through the process.

For now, we wait to see if there's another family that's interested in making their own memories.

Love what you do!

Love him or hate him, you can't argue with the late Steve Jobs' ability to build a business to record-breaking levels, something that, IMHO, has been missing from Apple's makeup since Jobs' passing. It always struck me watching his events/presentations that what we saw was what we got ... there was a truth to his passion and enthusiasm. I've read his biography and fully admit that there's some skeletons in his closet that he tried hard not to reveal, but you simply cannot argue about his acumen in business.

I truly LOVE this quote from him because it is something that has resonated with me for as long as I can remember. I honestly feel I made a brilliant choice so many years ago when I entered the educational system for my career. I thought then, and still wholeheartedly maintain, that I was in it for the long-haul, and I only decided that retirement was the best course when I lost faith in the leadership at the ministry of education. 

As I've said many times previous, "I love teaching but can't stand education."

In case you didn't get the memo, being retired and able to winter in the sunny south is THE BOMB! Not a day goes by that I don't recognize some reason, happenstance, or sign of how blessed I am to have discovered a path for life that came with a gold-plated retirement package! Hey, I didn't choose to become a teacher/coach because of the pension, but it certainly didn't hurt in any way either!

Sure, wintering in southwest Florida brings daily reminders that there are others who've achieved incredible levels of wealth and prosperity, at least by my standards, but despite finding myself a bit envious from time to time, I truly wouldn't change the path I chose for a myriad of reasons. The age old saying, "Figure out what you love to do, then find a way to get paid for it, and you'll never work a day in your life!" rings loud and true for me, just as the iconic Jobs stated. Building on some of my recent posts, I've come to realize that things are just that ... stuff! They don't leave us feeling fulfilled and content. The only path for me to those feelings was to help others find their way by holding the lantern high to light the trail of choices that others may choose for themselves. It's not about a transfer of knowledge ... a SAGE on the STAGE approach ... but a facilitation of necessary skill acquisition for life long learning.

I am profoundly proud of the teacher/coach I became!

It may sound corny, but that moment when a student/athlete finally clears the fog of confusion and the sparkle of understanding bursts forth from their face like a sunburst, thanks in part to my guidance or assistance, is the stuff that charges my batteries for weeks. Every teacher I've spent time with has their own version of that story, and the more regular the occurrence, the more passionate I became, I would imagine not unlike an addiction. Just like the old saying, "People forget what you did, but they always remember how you made them feel!", the resulting relationships that have endured for decades with those in my past classrooms or teams are the stuff that swells my breast with the warmest fuzzy imaginable.

For me, coaching was teaching on steroids! 

When you hitch a group of stallions with independent natures to the same cart and teach them how to work in harmony to achieve a goal that was collectively embraced, the sunburst is like a super nova, the accompanying emotional outpouring of elation washes over you in waves, leaving in it's wake a superlative sense of accomplishment that settles on the internal angst of, "Do they actually pay me to do this?"

Yes, I acknowledge that I was paid to teach! Coaching is teaching, at least in my opinion!

Sometimes I'm asked by those I value why I stopped coaching in my retirement, and the answer occasionally brings some bewildered looks. I have lived my life by the motto we embraced with our Central Rugby program ... Go Hard or Go Home! I developed my coaching style over many, many years, perfecting it for my tastes, values, and morals, so when I finally hung up the whistle for good, I knew that I wouldn't be happy doing a quasi-job of it, fully understanding that my method was intrinsically linked to being in a school with daily access to my athletes off the pitch/court to do the 'little' extras that were required for my method to bring results. 

If I couldn't do it the way I LOVED, I felt I couldn't do it at all. Go Hard or Go Home!

Knowing that, I was more than content to become a FAN, living life on the other side of the whistle, as it were, and I truthfully haven't regretted a single moment. Whether it's cheering or officiating, I'm still in the game at the grassroots level, and that passion to serve still burns white hot.

To quote my cousin Tim Burtch, "Life is Good!"

Who really matters?

This is possibly the most influential thing you'll read this year! Some of you may have already seen this on social media since it's been making the rounds of late.

The section below in red italics has often been credited the to brilliant mind of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip, but a quick check with Snopes (CLICK) quells that flame. An inquiry to the Charles M. Schulz Museum produced the following response: "We get this request about once a month. Though this saying/quiz is often attributed to Charles Schulz, he in fact made no such statement." The quiz is mistakenly attributed to Charles Schulz because he added a sentence to the end of it. It has subsequently appeared in any number of devotional or inspirational books, Snopes' earliest print sighting of it dates to 2001, where it was presented in Dennis Fakes' G.R.A.C.E.: The Essence of Spirituality.

Having said all of that, the value, validity, and brilliance of the writing is not tarnished by losing it's accreditation to the equally brilliant mind of Schulz. 

You don't have to actually answer the (following) questions. 

Just ponder on them. 

Just read it straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers - 
they are the best in their fields!
But the applause dies ...
Awards tarnish ...
Achievements forgotten ...
Accolades and certificates buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?
The lesson is the people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money ... or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.

Like a parent or relative ...

Like a long time friend or neighbour ...

Like a teacher, educational assistant, or guidance counsellor ...

Like a child+youth worker ...

IMHO, as a society, we place far too much emphasis on those who gain notoriety for some reason or another, and lose sight of those who have impacted and enriched our lives directly. My one wish for this coming year is a transition of focus from the previous to the latter, and offering our thanks and gratitude for the influence they've had. 

I know I'll be doing just that, starting with my family. 

Hopkins!

Sir Anthony Hopkins has a LOT to say!

A simple search on the Internet will reap dozens of info-graphics and attributions about his thoughts on Life, how to live it, and how not to live it ... which begs the obvious question: WHY should we pay heed to his musings? 

Some background info:

Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins was born on the 31st of December 1937, in Wales, and has become one of the most respected actors, directors, and producers of our time. One of Britain's most recognizable and prolific actors, he is renowned for his performances on the screen and stage. receiving numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award (CREDIT). He has also received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2005 and the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement in 2008. 

That alone places him squarely in the public eye, and affords him an interested audience for his pondering, but being awarded the CBE (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1987 and being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the dramatic Arts in 1993 brings a credibility that few share.

Taking full advantage of the privilege of such stature, combined with his blunt, shake-you-silly thoughts prompts retrospective consideration of one's station in Life, with an examination of opinions and habits the result. 

THAT is why we should at least read his musings with an open mind!

What people say about me is none of my business.
I am who I am and do what I do.
I expect nothing and accept everything.
And that makes life easier.
We live in a world where funerals are more important than the deceased,
marriage is more important than love,
looks are more important than the soul.
We live in a packaging culture that despises content.

Once you begin to fall off the track and believe you breathe different air to everyone else, you're doomed; you're finished. I think the healthy way to live is to make friends with the beast inside oneself, and that means not the beast but the shadow. The dark side of one's nature. Have fun with it and you know, is to accept everything about ourselves.

We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human mind anyway. It's a death trap.

If you search out Hopkins' quoted thoughts, you'll find he touches on a wide variety of subjects, many of which would quickly ruffle the feathers of the easily offended, but that hits close to the mark on purpose. While his famed focus and preparation for any upcoming thespian challenge have been the foundations of his remarkable success, his willingness to poke at the bottom Jenga bricks of society's infrastructure spur many a reader to examine what they think that they know.

Relish everything that's inside of you, the imperfections, the darkness, the richness and light and everything. And that makes for a full life.

There is no shortcut to happiness, you have to live your life.

I have to confess that I like some of what he suggests! 

Doing I think that he's the second coming of something important? 

NOPE! 

Do I like that his musings cause reflection and pause? 

ABSOLUTELY! 

After it's all said and done, if you read, reflect, ruminate, and remain where you are, it's still been a valid exercise and well worth your time.

#classdismissed