Halloween vs. trick-or-treat, "witch" is it?

Halloween, generally observed on October 31, has evolved over the years, but today is associated with dressing up in disguise, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o'-lanterns during the evening.  Americans are expected to spend more than 5.8 billion dollars on Halloween this year on such things as candy, costumes, and outdoor decorations.  It doesn't seem that long ago, but when we went trick-or-treating, most of us pulled some old clothes out of the dress up bureau, or we made our costumes from a whatever we could scavenge from around the house.

One year, my older brother spent several  days prior to Halloween making a square box that he used as his head for a Frankenstein look alike.  His influence was significant in that years later my friend and I put together a costume with two heads that we had made out of papier mache' that we fashioned around some very large balloons.  We then painted them with whatever leftover paint we could find, and our costumes were good enough to win us a prize at the town's Halloween costume "ball".  My younger brother was a tube of Colgate toothpaste in college and was rewarded a case of toothpaste from the parent company.  However, the one we never created was the "human bean", a person dressed up as a green bean.  I thought that was particularly clever.  There were lots of others too, pirates, hobos, sailors, princesses, witches, cowboys, Indians, to name a few.  However, what made it so fun to me then was that we used our imagination when we created those costumes; and after the "haul", we would sit on the living room floor and organize our booty to start trading for those must have candy bars.

Halloween was and still is about being a kid, pretending, dressing up in disguise, gathering a few sugary treats, and having fun; however, when it is all over, and the costumes come off, the question becomes, "which witch was the real one"?  Let me think about that one for a minute while I sink my teeth into this Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Mm Mm ghoul!

"More times"

Have you ever had something taste so good that you just couldn't wait for a second or third bite? Perhaps, it was so good that you wanted seconds. However, at some point in time you would find yourself full enough that, regardless of the gastronomic delight, if you took another bite your eyes would pop out. Sound familiar? Well, there is a law in Economics which captures this concept called the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility, and although it applies under most circumstances, just like most rules, you can always find an exception; allow me to explain.

The day my daughter was born the East coast was being hammered by hurricane Grace and "The Perfect Storm". She barely let out an utterance, even though her arrival was almost as stormy as the weather outside. However, her demeanor then and now has remained far more calm than the seas on that October day. She progressed through the newborn stages like any other healthy child and eventually got her sea legs and began to walk. Right about that time, The Simpson's had become popular, and we adopted Bart's "cowabunga", as our "flight" song. She would stand on the stairs and shout out, "cowabunga" and then jump into my arms, and just when I thought she was finished, she'd say, "more times". If I hadn't run out of energy, she would have done this until the "cows" came home, and there were none in sight.

Coincidentally, this was about the same time I realized that, if I was going to keep up with this little bundle of energy, I better get myself into shape; so thanks to my daughter because she provided the impetus for a lifelong commitment to good health through exercise.

As she prepares to celebrate her 19th birthday, I find myself wondering, where has all the time gone since those days of absolute innocence and boundless energy? Although it seems like just yesterday for me, it has been a lifetime for her, and to that I say, "cowabunga". Here's wishing you a Happy Birthday, and may you celebrate them "more times" and many "more times" to come. I love you with all my heart, and this is something I will never get tired of saying!

The first 1000 just get you warmed up

Experts often refer to the first 1000 days of a president, and in fact, there is a book written about JFK's first 1000 days. This could be a lifetime to some, but in reality, it is but a blink of an eye.

This morning my friends and I decided to consolidate our swim workout into a straight 1000 yards, because we lacked enough time to do anything more. We did start the day off in the weight room for a few quick "reps", but our efforts were concentrated on our swim workout. However, rather than do our usual warm-up, we went right to it. We agreed on 1000 yards and divided it up with a little breast stroke and back stroke to make the counting easier. Before we knew it, our workout was complete; it was over in the "flashiest of flashes".

The take home lesson here is that, no matter what the workout, it is better to have done something than to have done nothing at all. Although we didn't have enough time to really "challenge" ourselves, we did what the time allowed. If you apply this thinking to politics, I guess we shouldn't be all that surprised that our elected officials don't quite get everything done that they promise they will; after all, in those first 1000 days, they must be just warming up too!

Get me to the church on time

My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phoneticist, so she can pass as a proper lady. Of course, there have been several productions, but my favorite rendition starred the incomparable Julie Andrews. Well, for a bunch of guys, getting to the church on time is just as important on weekdays, as it is on Sunday morning.

Typically, my friends and I meet 6 days a week, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, our ritual has us running. A number of years ago, before our group expanded, we'd arrange to meet at each other's house. That worked just fine until we couldn't remember where we had planned to meet, and that really caused chaos. As a remedy, one of our compulsive comrades determined that one of the local churches was the geographic center between our respective homes, and it has been our meeting place ever since.

Now that we centralized our gathering spot, the issue is not where we are meeting or even at what time, we start at 6am, but can you get there on time? We do have a "grace" period, much like you'd have given your professors back in the day, but if you aren't there soon thereafter, you generally pay for your sins by running alone.
It is remarkable, but for more than 10 years, we have probably been the most consistent group of church goers in our community, and trust me, that's no lie!

Pfeiffer's final days give way to "The Meek"

Ohio Wesleyan University, located in Delaware, Ohio, is a small Liberal Arts University and home of the Battling Bishops. For many Ohioans, there is The Ohio State, and then, there are all the rest. Well, for the students who call OWU their school and for the residents of Delaware, the school is far more than that. The University offers opportunities for both the students and community, alike, however, like anything in life, one has to be a willing participant. As competition for quality students has risen, the schools have had to up the ante of available amenities, beyond providing an excellent educational experience. Because of the generosity of several benefactors, OWU will soon be proud of "The Meek", and allow me to explain.

My friends and I have been fortunate to have called the Pfeiffer Natatorium at OWU "our" home pool for the last 15+ years. The University has been a gracious host, not only to us, but to many other members of the community, including serving as home to the Delaware Hayes HS swim team. A number of those graduates have then gone on to swim at OWU, but perhaps more importantly, they have graduated and gone on to become Battling Bishops themselves. During the last 2 decades, there been a number of accomplished individuals who have taken the plunge at Pfeiffer: a Master's world record holder; 2, Ironman finishers (one an age 2nd place finisher in Hawaii); students who have challenged the crossing of the English Channel while promoting Peace; community leaders, distinguished faculty, and a whole host of others, too numerous to identify here. The waters of Pfeiffer have certainly been rejuvenating, been filled with students of all levels, and have offered a well spring for anyone willing to submerge themselves. I ought to know because our group has been one of the most consistent visitors to its decks.

Now that the University is on the verge of opening its new Meek Aquatics and Recreation Center, I would just like to say a sincere thanks to the University for having opened its doors to all of us over the years. Louis Pasteur once said, "opportunity awaits the prepared mind"; when I think about the much anticipated opening of this new facility, this expression comes to mind but with a slight modification. As the waters recede on Pfeiffer Natatorium, I say, "opportunity awaits you at "The Meek", provided you are prepared to get your feet wet". Good luck with the new digs, and although it is "The Meek", from what I have seen, it is everything but!

Track workouts always have you rounding the corners

Several years ago, after moving to Ohio, I joined up with a group of guys with whom I have been exercising with ever since. That, in and of itself, is the subject of another story, but when someone who I had recently met said, "Aren't you a runner and who are you running with?" I responded somewhat timidly, but "Yes, I love to run, and I have been running with these 2 other guys, Dave and Tom". The next words out of his mouth, "Oh! You are a serious runner then", and we both chuckled. So, since I have been labeled a serious runner, let me share with you a recent story.

Of, course, most of the running faithful recognize that, in order to become faster, you have to train some on the track; isn't that right? The weight room workout, however, can't hold a candle to the dreaded track workout. We avoid both like the plague, but the track, need I say more? Well, yesterday, was our usual day for running, and we generally meet at the local middle school oval. After some stretching and palaver, we began the seemingly, never ending event; today we ran 2, 200's; 4, 400's; 2, 800's, and ended with another 2, 200's. Each "pickup" is followed by the obligatory rest lap of equal distance, and by the time it was all over, we had run our 5 miles, not bad for a bunch of "half fast" middle, aged men. The reward for surviving this ordeal, a stop for coffee at the local Tim Horton's and conducting the day's briefing.

Yes, few of us enjoy a day at the track, but the benefits have certainly been proven. For a group of friends, it is more about "rounding the corners" together, and that too, is worth far more than the price of a cup of coffee!

Paying attention can be a force of "habits"

How many times have you been at a gathering of people and then heard some loud, booming voice say, "may I have your attention please"? In Colonial times, the town crier would have had this role, but the call would have been the quite familiar, "hear ye, hear ye". Whichever the case, the very shrill of the person's voice or a whistle, each gets the crowd to settle down so some pronouncement can be made. At least for an instant, everyone "focuses" the attention on the speaker delivering the message. Sometimes, the distractions are so intense that none of these efforts break that "trance" we call day dreaming, unless of course, it was Sister Yvonne.

Sister Yvonne was my 5th grade school teacher at St. Joseph's. She had the reputation of being very strict with the boys, but the girls just loved her. Since she had at least 2 of my older sisters and my older brother, I wasn't quite sure what my prospects were when I entered her classroom in my youth. My brother, however, was an exceptional student, so he was received more like those angelic women. As I recall, she would write our homework assignments on the chalkboard, and if we were lucky, you could complete all the homework before you even left for home. This was particularly important in the Fall, when the "usable" after school daylight was a premium and my friends and I needed to "stretch" our legs playing football.

During class one day, I remember finding myself looking out those huge, double hung windows in our classroom "studying" the birds and wondering, "How do they fly"? I marveled at this mystery, and wished that I too, could fly, just to get a "birds eye" view of things. Suddenly, from that trance like state, I heard this voice asking me a question to which I had no response. Fortunately, when Sister asked what I had been doing I quickly pondered my options; do I admit my guilt or do I make up some "white lie" and say that I didn't hear the question. Remember now, this was Sister Yvonne whose reputation was legendary, so I fessed up and admitted that I wasn't paying attention. She seemed surprised by my honesty, but I have contended ever since that this admission of guilt went a long way to helping smooth over an "old habit".

I owe an awful lot to Sister Yvonne and the others, for over the years, I have reflected on this event and have even used it to illustrate to others that "day dreaming" may not be pathological. In fact, I believe that it is only an issue, if it occupies a disproportionate percent of one's time and thus interferes with working productively. Otherwise, it may simply serve as a distraction that ultimately keeps us "grounded", unlike those feathery friends!