Memories

It’s 10:45 on Friday night. I should really get to bed since I’m headed to the show in Johnstown at 6am. I just got home from the Adirondack Phantoms AHL game. As the closing seconds ticked off the clock my mind raced back some30 years ago to when the Adirondack Red Wings made their home in Glens Falls. I was 11 years old and involved in youth hockey so it made things even more exciting. As the game ended they started playing “We Are the Champions” by Queen. Although it was 30 years ago when they used to play the same song after Red Wing victories, it seemed almost timeless in a sense. It was only for a few seconds, but I definitely felt myself race back in time. I was only 11 then, but I was happy go lucky and felt good about myself back then. Tonight, while listening to the song playing, as I walked up the stairs I knew that mentally I was once again in the happy go lucky frame of mind, with the world waiting for me to explore it. Back then I didn’t know where the road would take me and I was able to find my way once the miles started fading behind me. Now, I’ll do the same.

Tomorrow will be the 30th anniversary of my trip to Lake Placid to see the Olympic Games. I was able to watch Eric Heiden, the speed skater, win his fifth gold medal on the outside oval. It was surely an event that I will never forget.  It was also the day after the United States had beaten Russia 4-3 in the Miracle on Ice game. People were on the streets selling used ticket stubs from the game for $500 which was a substantial amount of money at the time time, especially for a game that had already been played.

To this day I can’t believe the things that I experienced as a child. I’m not sure that my parents knew at the time that their ability to share everything with their children would stay with each and every one of us throughout our lives. All of these things gave meaning to our lives and made us understand how very fortunate we were.

My father only bought one ticket to a cross country skiing event and hoped that would be enough to get us into the Olympic village, which it was. I didn’t understand then what I do now.  My parents simply took a chance and hoped it would work out. They didn’t have any fear and weren’t swayed by all of the people that told them they would never be allowed to get close to Lake Placid. Instead they went all in and figured everything would figure itself out along the way. My siblings and I are so incredibly lucky to have lived the dream of going to the Olympics the year that so many wonderful things happened for the United States.

As I’ve sat back and watched the Olympics in Vancouver this week I can remember the sights, sounds and smells like it was only yesterday. The sad part is that it was almost a lifetime ago and time gets going so fast it’s impossible to slow down. I wish I could lasso it and make it stand still. I’m now beginning to see the writing on the wall.

I’ve been stuck for a while and the decisions that I must make are becoming painfully more obvious. Time’s not slowing down and I must decide where to go, what to do and most importantly what path will take me where I need to go. Although it sounds relatively simple, it’s not.

I’ve always been a chronic over-thinker and once again my mind is stuck on full throttle. Nobody ever said life would be easy. It’s a series of events that challenge our inner being and what we are made of. As the saying goes “only the strong survive.” Well, everyone survives to an extent, but the strong are able to prioritize and make the necessary changes on the fly.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the next 9 months in front of me. I have a mountain of things on my plate and I must tackle them one at a time. The secret is not letting everything overwhelm me. I’ve taken many punches on the chin and I’ve been kicked below the belt as well as hit in the back. Therefore, I know I can handle pretty much anything. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark it might seem when you’re inside it. The light will appear if your feet don’t stop moving. Movement is essential and we must all learn to continue marching forward.

I read a quote the other day which I can easily relate to. It reads “In the end we only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have and the decisions we waited too long to make.” Unfortunately, I’m living proof of that quote. I can feel the pain of some of it each and every day. I know it’s nobody’s fault but my own, too.

Hopefully I can change some of those things in the future and take the advice rather than become yet another statistic or a reason for another quote of the same nature.

Tomorrow should be fun. I’m looking forward to seeing a few people I haven’t seen in a while as well as making some new friends. If  I’m lucky maybe I’ll sell a few more books than I expect to.

Until next time……………..tonight was a blast back in time that brought back some great memories and made me accept that many more are waiting to be made.

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