By The Lax Addict

I guess each one of us views life according to his own context.  You hear all the time about how someone touches the lives of those around him.  This rant is about one of those people.

Joe doesn’t have the hardest job in the world.  He does some administration stuff, inter-office mail, and some specific aspects of customer service.  He is everywhere in our organization because of his duties.  His route takes him throughout every departmental office where he greets everyone with his signature smile and fist bump.  Even if I’m working with a customer face to face, he’ll steer behind my chair and pat me on the shoulder to say hello as he passes through around 3:42 PM.  It’s a tad unprofessional to allow an interruption, especially if I’m dealing with a customer that is having great difficulty, but it’s just his way.  I didn’t think too much about it beyond recognizing him as a happy, friendly person.  Thinking about it now, it’s quite a commitment to make sure every person with whom you come into contact, knows you give a crap.  So that’s how it went, day after day, until Monday.  I heard the news as I put my lunch in the office fridge.  He had been attending the funeral of someone he knew and had collapsed during the service in the cemetery.  Apparently, he had chronic Asthma, and it finally caught up with him.  Because I can be pretty self-centered, the finality of Joe’s death didn’t hit me until around 3:45 that afternoon.  Never again, will I have to throw a semi-embarrassed shrug at a customer to apologize for the interruption.  I’m really going to miss Joe.

But you know I will find a way to work Lacrosse into any conversation.  Thus is my addiction.  Today, I’m thankful that I have the medicine game in which to take solace.  Even the preparation and practice (and hopefully kvetching) of this game is pleasing to the Creator.  Nice.  I’ll take my time this week to incite you all to make it count.  Don’t waste an opportunity to use your love of the game to make you better in all areas.  If you go to the wall (like you know you should be doing more) to work your off hand, that’s great.  If you get up earlier to do some extra conditioning so you’re legs can be fresh in the fourth quarter, that’s awesome.  Just don’t forget to use that drive to be a better Lacrosse player to lead you to be a better human as well.  Teach a kid to play.  Volunteer.  Heck, just be like Joe and make sure every life you touch knows you care.  You would have a lot to live up to.

Sappy rant this week?  It’s not over yet.  I’ve had this song in my head all week so I’m passing it on to you.  Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JphjsCqsZ4Q

-LA

This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 6:13 am and is filed under Blogs, Lax Addict. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.