Why The Madness Keeps Us Sane

Whenever I turn on the news, check a website, or look through a paper, I am constantly reminded by so many people that "THESE ARE TRYING TIMES", "IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE", and "JUST GIVE IN NOW TO THE INEVITABLE DOOM". The economy is fighting to come back, people hate people, we are fighting loosing battles everywhere in defense of freedom (something that too many of us take for granted), and most of those in power can only seem to resort to petty arguments over inconsequential things.


It should not surprise us, then, that we live and breathe for our teams - especially those who are making fairy-tale-like runs to best the proverbial Goliaths of their sport.  This fight, this struggle, this battle which we every-day Joe's feel like we are waging by proxy, is one of the last tangible things we have to motivate us to face the next day's earthly and all-too-real issues.


I'm a Kansas Jayhawk, born and bred.  I have rooted for the 'Hawks for as long as I can remember, and too have memories of the ups and the downs.  That famous buzzer-beating-shot? I was jumping up and down, screaming in joy.  The loss to VCU? I was standing, still and quiet, heartbroken.  The oddity of being a Kansas fan is that, in both situations, you are never surprised.  We simultaneously expect both the best and the worst to happen.  Being a Jayhawk fan isn't just liking a team, it is a completely different state of mind.  We expect our team to do their best, play their hardest, and leave everything they can on the court.  And when they don't?  We are bitterly disappointed in them, and have to constantly remind ourselves that there will be another team and another season.


I think that it is the similarities between this and our lives that make March, and sports in general, so important to us. During the regular season (non-conference play included) approximately 293,400 individual tickets were sold for the Men's Basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse.  Last Thursday night, on CBS alone (not counting cable networks showing other games), viewing topped out at 7.01 million.  Saturday night? 10.24 million viewers. Watching a game. On TV.


Sports are important. Basketball is important. March is VERY important.  There is a sense of connection that we have with the teams we root for, whether they are life-long commitments or Cinderella picks. We live through the player's trials.  When Darnell Jackson's mom died, the Jayhawk ranks closed quickly for support.  When Thomas Robinson's mother died, the Lawrence community, Jayhawks everywhere, and college basketball fans around the country lent their support in any way they could.  These players, mere boys, fight for us, bleed for us, struggle for us, and we are grateful.


We are grateful for the moments in the sun. We are grateful for the moments of joyful escape.  We are even grateful for the moments of failure, because it just proves that they are human, just like we are. We are grateful, and we look forward to the next season, the next game, the next flight or fall, because it gives another day to look forward to.  

Still Searching

One huge part of all of the change in my life has had nothing to do with my job search.  Rather, it has had to do with my church search.

The Jesus Fountain at White's Chapel

I put it off for quite some time.  Church is a very large, definitive part of who I am and what I do, and changing churches is hard.  My last church, White's Chapel United Methodist Church (WCUMC), was fantastic, and I was spoiled.  It was a big enough church to have amazing programs, but still honestly felt like it wasn't a "Mega-church".  The music program is incredible, and the pastors never preach a sermon without first thanking the orchestra, choir, and any soloists or ensembles.  This is amazing to me - and is definitely not something that I've seen before in a church.  It also makes finding something new even harder.

I decided this past Sunday to try out a church that was of comparable size (slightly larger membership that WCUMC), hoping that I would find a similar situation.  Unfortunately, I didn't.  Everything that I loved about White's Chapel was absent, and everything that I dislike about "Mega-churches" was present.  The hardest part was that while I was sitting there, I kept having to tell myself over and over to keep giving it a chance, to not come to a quick judgement, to keep an open mind.  I can see that, for people who are new to church, this location would be great  - the service was very informative and educational.  However, for me, not so much.

So, the search continues.  Much like looking for a job, or trying to pick a college, the process might take a while.  I'm hoping, though, that it won't take too long.  Church to me is about two major things - faith and community.  Church brings me a second family, often of people with similar beliefs and ideas and hobbies (re: MUSIC!!).  Church brings me comfort, routine, and solace - all things that are so often absent when going through the oft-times hapless search for a new job. 

So - the status of my life/job hunt/ church hunt?  

Still searching.

The Wait...

Well, I've had a first and second interview for a job, and now I'm dealing with the wait. They did say that they want to make sure they get the right person for the job, versus just getting a warm body, which is a good thing. However, I'm also trying to not be crazy impatient. Patience is definitely NOT a virtue I am currently in possession of. Interestingly enough, Mom told me earlier that I'm much more patient than she is about the whole thing!

Moral of the story- I'm still waiting. I'll send a follow up email to them tomorrow, but beyond that I am completely unable to change the circumstances. And that, my friends, is what sucks the most.