A Down Day?

OK.  I know this is the Sports Section and all and maybe what follows isn't much about sports but my answer to that is that sports are life and life is sports or something like that (and if you're already confused about where this is going, well...sorry about that).

Anyway, this is my favorite time of year.  Football in full swing.  Cooler mornings.  Crisp nights.  Time slows down a bit and life is full.

Yet I found myself fighting something last week.  Those around me kept asking me what was wrong.  

I guess I was more quiet than usual.  One friend suggested that my chemistry was off.  That's possible but how do you know?

Most people ask if anything had changed. 

Not really.  No major life events. My health is good.   I've still got most of my hair.  I can't quite stay up with Steve Bright on the bicycle but I'm still pretty decent. 

My six grandkids are the smartest, funniest, best kids around.  My kids have grown up into really great adults, making their own way in the world but letting us be a part of it.  I look forward eagerly to getting home to my wife each night and I'm not sure I can ask for anything much better than that.

My right knee is pretty much wore out (people ask me about my limp on a regular basis) but it really doesn't hurt me much so that knee replacement is still well off in the future.

So I got off by myself for a bit.  That's not something that my schedule allows very often (like never).  And I thought about some of the things that I've written about in this space.

And I remembered what a wonderful place that we live in.  Most people visit the Smokies (the most visited national park in the country).  We get to live here.  I mean, the Appalachian Trail forms the eastern border of our county!

Many people dream of a life on the lake.  We're surrounded by them.

I consider the climate around here just about perfect.  Go north and you get cold weather and snow that lingers so long that some of it was still around in July.  Go south and you get heat and humidity, bugs and sand. 

If you're into golf, we have golf courses all over the county.  Good ones.

We're blessed to have an outstanding college in the middle of town (Maryville College) which brings culture, sports, and academics to us.  Not been to the Clayton Center yet?  Big mistake.

And then there's Pellissippi State's Blount County campus--state of the art and giving us great educational diversity and opportunities.

Medical care?  Top-notch (even if I do say so myself).  A region with diversity and people that will give you the shirt off their backs. 

Lots of folks love the fall for college football.  It's a big deal around here.  At this point, everybody has a chance at a good season.  UT looks to be better but I'm hoping for a great season for my beloved Clemson Tigers (or at least another win over South Carolina).

I still prefer high school football.   On Friday nights, I get to walk the sidelines and be a part of something pretty special.  I'm living the dream with good friends, great family, and a job that I look forward to going to.

So today you're going to find a smile on my face and a song in my heart (or in my earbuds).  Have a blessed day.