There’s nothing for it if you live in Oklahoma. 

 Football comes in fall.

There was a game today between OU and Washington and OSU played rinkydink tonight.

The Big Game was, of course, Texas and Ohio State, Nos. 1 & 2, blahblahblah.

It used to ruin my week when OU lost at football.

Texas and Nebraska and OSU, well, those were times that were not to be interrupted with the vagaries of real life like children and wives and whatnot.

What a bunch of crap!

One of the themes of my life since at least the early 80s is that I’m no longer going to be a spectator in this life.  It’s participate or die.

I couldn’t any longer live with the voyeurism of journalism.

I wanted in Teddy Roosevelt’s ring.

Watch football on TV?

Well, I might go to the odd game, but not watch on TV.  If I go to a game, I want it to be fun and not serious.  I don’t look for tickets to the OU-Texas game.  It’s an ordeal to go to Dallas, it’s an ordeal to go to an OU home game.  It used to be fun to go to OSU home games because you could walk right in and get a good seat with no muss and no fuss.  Now, it’s also a nightmare and the fans are SO f’n serious.

I can’t do that.

I liked going to the Heritage Hall football games when I was teaching there.  I would go to a football game in a small town because it’s about socializing and it’s fun and you can watch and enjoy yourself.  If you’ve got your ego on the line, forget it.

I would go see a baseball game at Bricktown Stadium and I haven’t watched baseball on TV in decades.  Baseball is great to go see.  There’s time to talk and look around and have a little something to eat and most stadiums are comfortable enough that a summer’s evening in a crowd and a little Bricktown nightlife afterwards is fun as can be.

I don’t much care for just sitting at home listening to CDs.  I don’t get to see giant acts, but I’d rather go to VZDs or GSpot and hear no one special and be part of being out on the town than hear great music on a great stereo.

I’d rather take the risk of having 100s of crazy friends (and I have 100s of such acquaintences) than the security of sitting in front of TV at home.

I don’t want to look out the window at a blue sky, I want to drive under it with the top down on the car.

I’d rather meet a mobster or a whore with a heart of gold than read about one.

I’m afraid a lot.  Most of the time, actually.  But that’s because I venture between my ears and not because I go outside the confines of my homestead.

I’ve said also that I am not good at love.  I’m not.  Sometimes, it has hurt like hell.  Nevertheless, I’d rather love and lose than watch “When Harry Met Sally” on DVD by myself.

I’m willing to risk my heart, my trust and my friendship despite the fact that the world does not always reward that risk — it’s what makes it risky.

No question that there are times when following this path that I’ve made an utter ass of myself.  I’ve certainly fallen flat in every way possible at one time or another.  I don’t care.  Yes, that’s right. I don’t care.  I prefer that I not embarrass myself, but I get more reward than punishment.  It’s a net good thing for me to be out there.

I meet great people and I generally have a good time.

I turn few people down because almost everyone has something to teach me or delight me.  I find beauty in the most unlikely places and in the most unlikely people.

Enough of that.  It’s time for me to go back into my cave and hide from y’all for about another 24 hours.  Later!  Buh-Bye!