By the time I get to Phoenix (Part 2)

Pat Fule
Fule for Thought

 

So, I was handing out little cards at Sobeys on Saturday. They were nice, coloured slips advertising the Comedy Night this Saturday at the Civic Centre. It’s one of the Youth Club’s major fundraisers, and for the most part, it went well.
However, to the older gentleman who I seemed to have angered with the hand-out, I’d like to say, it’s not like I came to your door asking you to switch your religion or anything! Sheesh, you made me feel like I ran over your dog or something! All you had to do, was say “no thanks”… luckily, almost everyone else was nice. Handing out flyers is a definite humbling experience … it also reminded me how much I dislike campaigning for office!
With all the rain and cold weather lately, I got to reminiscing about Phoenix again. The heat there is definitely something I miss, as long as you use sunscreen and have a pool available. We were in the warm pool water in 46 degree heat when it dawned on me. There I was in a pool where I can’t swim, I’m scared not touching the bottom, and it’s scorching! I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, I’m overweight, and did I mention I’m scared of water? Basically, I was in a nice warm “Death Soup!”
I’ll bet my insurance agency would not like to hear this!
Debbie and I decided to go to a Major League Baseball game, and the Diamondbacks had a “homestand” against San Francisco. Now, I like baseball, but like curling, it’s not always the most exciting of sports to watch!
That night turned out to be the third longest game in the Diamondbacks’ history. Do you know what 5.5 hours of watching baseball does to a person? Many people actually started to leave at about the 11th inning. The game started at 6:30 p.m. and didn’t finish until Midnight! In fact, San Francisco used all 10 of its pitchers and Arizona used seven. Even though all these relief pitchers warm up in the bullpen, they also get three minutes on the mound with the catcher.
That means that for 51 minutes, we watched two overpaid men play a game of “Catch!”
Dull doesn’t begin to describe that! I mean, there’s a lot of standing around in baseball anyway … the warm-ups were nuts!
I did see a guy in Phoenix wearing a t-shirt that stopped me in my tracks. He was a typical, ordinary guy, but the shirt read: “Whoever Said Winning Isn’t Everything Never Had to Fight Cancer.”
It made me think of all the people I’ve known over the years who’ve had to face this disease. They’re all brave, and one of my former students is fighting it now. I had the chance to talk to him, to wish him well, and to say I’ve prayed for him. Sometimes even in the least expected places, on holiday, we are reminded that people are fighting their greatest battle right now.
To those of you who are in this now, either personally, or through others, I hope you can find the strength to fight on, through all the challenges ahead.
(“Fule for Thought” is a slice of life humourous column that appears in the Strathmore Times, written by long-time resident, town councillor, high school teacher, coach, husband and father of two – Pat Fule. If you would like to get in touch with Pat, you can send him an e-mail at Pat.fule@shaw.ca)