With Appreciation

A student approached Zen Buddhist master, Nakagawa Sōen:

 “I am very discouraged.”

Soen Roshi replied, “Encourage others.”

January isn’t normally the time to focus on encouragement or thankfulness or appreciation.  Didn’t we just finish that season, after all?

The best time to do this stuff is when nobody expects it.

You know who doesn’t get encouraged?  I mean, other than minority candidates in the Democratic Party.  Offensive linemen: Guard. Tackle. Center. Blockers.  These linemen determine the success of a team.  I’m convinced of that.  Take the New England Patriots, for example.  New England’s Tom Brady is considered the greatest QB of all time these days.  He’s a great player, I agree.  BUT—that O-line was always fantastic for him. Consider his replacements:

• In 2008, he was injured right away and missed the entire season.  A man named Matt Cassel took over.  He led the Patriots to a 11-5 season, ranked 9th best in the NFL (just below Drew Brees). Kansas City’s team thought that showed promise.  He was a far different player without the Patriots’ offensive line.  He ranked dead last.
• When Brady got suspended in 2016, the job fell to Jimmy Garoppolo, a 24-year-old 3rd round pick from Eastern Illinois in his 3rd year.  Garoppolo was the best QB in the NFL by week 2.
• Another injury (to Garoppolo) landed Jacoby Brissett, a rookie, in the position.  He muddled through with almost no experience in the 3rd game (ranked 11th).  He was injured in week 4, and was traded to Indianapolis, where he was a back-up until this season.
• We learned that things change without a strong line this year in New England.  The QB protection was weakened from injuries.  They heard about it all year.  In fact, the Patriot O-line didn’t get anything from Tom Brady for Christmas this year.  Really. 

Stay classy, Tom.

My beloved, often-ignored, cheating, conniving, wonderful, fun-to-watch Seahawks are in the playoffs again.  As a bonus, they brought back one of the favorite Seahawks of all time: Marshawn Lynch.  They beat the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend, and suddenly it seems like things might...fly...their way.  (Ha!)  One key play appeared to define the entire game.  Here’s the play that seemed to give the Seattle Seahawks a lead & a playoff win over the Eagles.  As the announcers tell you, Marshawn Lynch (a.k.a., Beast Mode) POUNDS the ball into the endzone. 

("Bye, Philecia.")

Or did he?  There’s another guy with a part, as well.  His name is D. J. Fluker.  He plays offensive guard for the 'Hawks.  He’s an...offensive lineman.  Check his stats on ESPN, where his entire career boils down to the two tackles he made (after turnovers, I assume).  You don’t hear about O-line folks unless they get flagged for holding or false starts (or they get stuck in a “smart car”).  When you’re bad, you get named.  When you’re good, the others get named…you know, those in the “skill positions.” 

Q: Who came up with that bonehead term??

A: Same guy (a MAN, I'm sure) who coined "Mid-Major."

We never learn of linemen's backstories, either.  Wide receivers have deep, rich stories, though.  During this same playoff game, I saw a rookie wide receiver’s photo from about age 6, dressed up as Superman.   His biggest trial?  He was drafted in the second round, not the first.

Yeah, that’s why he caught that last pass:  cosplay.  

After the game, they interviewed him.  "How did it feel to blah, blah, blah after the pain of waiting to be drafted, blah, blah…?" 

Here’s a story.

D.J. Fluker was born and raised in the Lower Ninth of the Big Easy.  Hurricane Katrina displaced his family.  You know, like this:

He ended up attending three different high schools in different states. Still, he played at the University of Alabama and got drafted in the first round.  After five seasons, Fluker signed with Seattle, already his third NFL team—another journeyman.  Yet, here he is.  Making something happen and getting very little credit.  Maybe credit on some loser blog or something…

Fluker’s good, and that makes Russell Wilson (position: Quarterback), Marshawn Lynch (position: Beast Mode), and everybody else look good.  We’re all glad to have #24 (Lynch) back in uniform.  He just may be the spark that the Seahawks needed.  I get to buy big bags of Skittles again!

(This will always be my favorite photo of him.)

Doesn’t matter how much I like the guy.  Look again…you only need to see 4 seconds of it.  Freeze it, if you need.

Here.  I'll freeze it for you.  It all hinges on this quick decision by the guard (still photo):

D.J. basically grabs the ball carrier and throws him into the endzone!

How does this play end without Fluker?  Lynch gets stood up and stuffed.  The Seahawks had 19 yards on 17 carries in this game.  Beast Mode needed that help Sunday, and Fluker isn’t getting credit.  Honestly, Mr. Lynch got help throughout his career.  Beautiful.

(I still smile when I see this.)

OK...

I told you that story to get to this story.

Princeton…home of the high & mighty types…has officially noticed the staff.  The university recently exhibited etchings, drawings, and large-scale paintings of “10 workers at Princeton, including people in facilities, dining, grounds maintenance, and security.”  Just look at these!

The exhibit is titled, Lifetimes.  You can see it--an entire life of decent, hard work--in the faces.  It's just incredible to me.  Often, people just need help noticing.  I can't do much more than write a blog.  Still, we humans need to be on the lookout for ways to encourage others.  It's how we stay positive, or refreshed, or sober.

The artist is Mario Moore, who was on a Hodder painting fellowship.  He may have become famous for noticing and encouraging such work and these incredible people.  You know, I’m proud to be married to one of these workers at SFA—

• the people that make things function & work
• the ones that work late, later, and early (if necessary) and
• do those things that everybody thinks “just happen.”  

The paintings show a sense of honor toward these people.  Dr. Jay Thornton, the chair of a large department at SFA, took the time to drop a nice candle and a hand-written Thank-You to each custodial staff member who cleans his building (including Ms. Raqueline).  I still can hardly think of it without tearing up.  We should show that appreciation, too.  I should.

Now is a good time to look around.  It’s January, and early January at that.  The toughest part of the year, my friends.  My mom--who took lunch tickets at an elementary school, among other things--would have been…well…really old now.  January 6 (Epiphany, the 12th Day of Christmas) was and is her birthday.  She made things happen, rarely noticed, with little credit.  Too often, I got the credit.  I’m resolved to give others credit this winter.  Credit for jobs well-done when nobody notices.  Join me.  Call me on it when I miss, which I will. 😄

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson