Think back to your childhood heroes. People you thought were simply "cool".
Have any of you every had the chance, later in life, to meet one of your heroes?
I did.... just last week.
When Lenny (aka my brother Kurt) and I were kids, if you wanted to find us on a Sunday afternoon in the summer, all you would have to do is go to the exhibition grounds in Moose Jaw. Why? Because that is where the stock car races were held.
The stock car guys were our heroes... we knew all there was to know about their cars, their crews... we even rode our ten speeds all over town going to get to the houses or shops where the cars were stored just to see if we could tell what had been done to them that week (New motor? New paint??).
In fact, I even remember jumping through the windows of a few of those cars and pretending that I was driving (all the while watching for the owner who likely would not have been as excited about that as I was).
Looking back on it, I realize now that the cars they ran in Moose Jaw were sort of junky. In fact, they would not be much better than a "bomber class" or "Enduro car" at most race tracks now. They were just old cars with the windows kicked out and a roll cage welded in.
However, there was one guy who had the craziest car we had ever seen. I mean, this thing was super fast!! It was loud!!! The team was so cool that they even had a real car hauler and matching team jackets!!! They did not race in Moose Jaw very often, but when they did, it was a show!
That team..... Jim Barnstable's team from Estevan, Saskatchewan.
Now, some of you are thinking "Wa?" because you don't have a clue - nor do you care - who Jim Barnstable is..... and others of you are thinking "Wa?" because you do know who Jim Barnstable is and you are thinking "He was your hero???"
Well, hero may be a strong word.... but to a 14 year old kid, dude was cool.
So imagine my surprise when several years ago, guess who moves into the house across the street from the church building..... one Mr. Jim Barnstable.
I often thought, "I should go over there, introduce myself and tell him my story of watching him race when I was a kid". But then I thought, "Bah! Why would he care that some preacher watched him race 25 years ago?"
Then, last week, I was outside shoveling the walk and guess who drives up to the church building with a load of clothes for our free clothing outlet. So I introduced myself and told him my story and he was thrilled!!!
In fact, he told me that he had this scrapbook of all his old race cars and newspaper clippings and stuff.... it was over at his machine shop and he said that I should come by and look at it sometime. There was even stuff in there about Moose Jaw. I told him I would do that.
Then.....
On Wednesday I am sitting in my office when I hear someone banging around in the building. I get up to go see who it is and, lo and behold, it is Jim..... and he has the scrapbook with him. "I just thought I would drop by and show this to you."
And so he did.... for the next half hour or more. Then he said, "There is a ton of stuff in there to read. Why don't you just take it home and look it over. Keep it as long as you want and just bring it back when you are done".
Sometimes, when you are a kid, you build people up in your mind to the point that there is no way that they could ever be that nice.... so when you really do meet them it is a let down.
Not this time. Jim could not have been nicer. And I think I made his day too. It is nice to be remembered, right?
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So, for the first time in a year, I decided to go to "Noon Hockey" today. It turned out well. I am sore and tired, but it was a ton of fun.... all except for one thing.
When I went to look over my stuff last night to make sure nothing was missing, I noticed that someone (Sari) had put "Bounce fabric softener" sheets all through my hockey bag.
I was expecting to smell "Hockey dressing room" and what I got was "Spring flower tulip".
What is she trying to do????? Get me beat up????? Cause that is what happens to guys at hockey who smell too nice!!!!
I almost beat myself up just on the principle of the thing!!!
I spent years getting that stuff to smell that bad!!! I (literally) have not washed the shirt that goes under my shoulder pads in 10 years or more. 10 YEARS!!!!!
Bounce sheets!!!!!! Brother!!! :(
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One last thought......
I am not the most "Politically Correct" guy. Sometimes I think that stuff goes a little overboard.
However, the other day I heard something that did offend me and I can't believe that it has not been changed in all these years.
I asked Megan, "So what did you do in gym class today?"
Her response... "We played British Bulldog!"
Now come on!!!
Why is that not..... "Monarch ruled, island dwelling, North Sea, Anglo Saxon Male of the species Bos Taurus canine?"
"British Bulldog" indeed!
I am writing to somebody about this, you know????!!!! :)
