"Hold that line and get that ball and don't let them score!"
"What do you want? Touchdown! What do you get? Touchdown!"
"Two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar. All for our team stand up and holler!"
One of the precursors of the fall season in our part of the world is football. Folks in our area love football and many religiously support area high school and college favorites. A number of our students are involved playing the game, cheering the team on to victory, playing in the band and working concessions and the gates. Friday night football in any of our regional towns with a high school football team is an EVENT.
I thought about football this week, but not in regards to the colorful pageantry, nor the hard hitting "pop" of shoulder pads and helmets on the football field as athletes block, tackle and run. Rather, I thought of football in regards to "time."
This came to me, believe it or not, from many folks responding to various photos I recently posted on my social media account. I try very hard to post photos that encourage folks and take their minds away from the "cares of the world." I find that photos that hearken back to earlier times and familiar scenes evoke many positive responses; In short, just a momentary escape, a small amount of time for folks to immerse themselves in good memories or beautiful sights that may encourage many to "soldier on." It takes a bit of time choosing the right photos, but I receive a blessing in knowing something I chose to share has provided a boost, a bit of encouragement, a moment or two of good feelings for someone out there, a friend or acquaintance.
Now, back to the sports field and football. The home team is trailing two points, the team is on the 20 yard line of their opponent. It is the fourth down with five yards to go and less than two minutes on the clock. Does the home team attempt a field goal, run the ball through the line and attempt to make five yards on the ground or go for a pass? The clock is ticking, the play must be called. Will it bring victory or defeat? The memories of the game will last for a while, but the time elapsed cannot be regained. A call is made, a quarterback sneaks and rolls out to the side and a backward lateral to a running back who runs with all his might and scores a touchdown! The crowd goes wild! The home team wins the game! The band breaks into the fight song!
The team's victory encourages many. An investment of talent and time. These days, we need that investment from each of us to encourage family, friends and neighbors every chance we have. It's the fourth down and we must make a decision about the play. It's our call and our time; do we use it to encourage others and ourselves? I strongly believe it's worth our time and effort. Play ball.
From the Eight Mile Still on the Woodpecker Route north of White Springs, wishing you a good day.