Self Control

Based on the title of this post - I bet you think you know where this is going. Indulgence in the realms of eating and spending? Actually, no.... I could say a few things about that, I'm sure, but that's not what's been on my mind.

I've witnessed two extraordinary examples of the best and worst of self-control regarding personal behavior this weekend and I thought I'd comment about that....

In the category of very impressive: Joey Harrington. I love that guy. He's one of all time favorite Duck players - well, shoot, he is my favorite. He's just "Joey" in this house, Brayden even dressed up as him one Halloween. I would never say he was the UO's all time best player, he wasn't - but, he had this amazing spirit, presence, class, and grace that made him an extraordinary leader and able to rally the team in countless comeback wins. Hopes were high for him as he entered the NFL draft, and sure enough he was picked 5th by the Detroit Lions. Thus began five horrible years for our beloved hero. Joey was supposed to turn their team around and it didn't happen. The team didn't congeal, they didn't support each other, they blamed each other every step of the way - and they lost a lot. Towards the end, the fans despised Joey and the press he received in Detroit was scathing. And, Joey had had enough - despite a bit of an improvement of belief in him from the new coach - he left. And, as fans, we were proud of him.

Within a couple of months, Joey was playing for the Miami Dolphins. He was asked to be the back-up for Dante Culpepper, a great quarterback and once again, with hopes that the entire team would begin to turn around. The early press indicated it was a great fit for Joey and the team and us, Duck fans, were happy. Then, Culpepper got hurt and Joey was put in as starting quarterback. Uh oh - this could be bad. But, it wasn't. They won't be in the superbowl or anything, but good things have happened. They are on a winning streak and Miami fans are beginning to have hope.

On Thanksgiving Day, in the irony of all ironies, Miami just happened to be the team to play Detroit in Detroit's annual Thanksgiving game. Joey was jeered wherever he went. "Boo"d at practices, warm-ups, etc. The announcer even tried to humiliate him by announcing him with the "Piano Man" song (he likes to play piano and is very good), and once again, the fans thought it was a riot to Boo again. Many close-ups were shown on the big screen of his face, more opportunities for the fans to boo. Joey ignored it all and played with his heart - he played one of his best games in the last 5 years. And, Miami won without a contest. And, here's the self-control that this whole post is about - Joey handled it with the utmost of class. He had every opportunity to slam that team, the coaches and owners, and rub in just how much their failure to win had to do with the entire team and not his playing abilities. But, he didn't. He simply made it clear how happy he is to be in the supportive environment he's at - happy to be at Miami.

I bet his parents are SO proud of him. What life lessons to learn, what a need to grow up fast. But, I tell you what, if I were his parents, no amount of scoring statistics could ever compare to the way he conducts his character..... Yeah, Brayden, that's a player to look up to.


Now, on to the flip side..... much shorter and funnier for those of you that have had a difficult time wading through the football commentary...... On Friday, we began our shopping experience at Kohl's. Michele was quickly disappointed to find that the "doorbuster" item was gone before we got there (in less than ten minutes). So, she opted to drive to Best Buy and leave Mom and I behind. Through cell phones, we found she would be there for a while, so Mom and I opted to carry our purchases through the mall parking lot (no car since Michele took it) and head to Target which would open in about ten minutes. We felt so smug entering the Gateway mall, finding an abandoned cart to put our stuff in and waiting with about 30 other people outside the doors of Target on the inside of the mall (nice and warma and dry). That was, until, we read the signs that were very clearly posted that said that the door to enter Target would not be opened until all of the people waiting in line outside were let in. Bummer, but we still figured we'd made the right choice. However, as time inched by, 6:05, 6:10, 6:15..... and new people were entering the line outside and just walking in and we were trapped outside of the store, we got a little antsy. One woman, though, got a little more than antsy. From the moment 6am hit, she was out of control. Literally kicking the steel door and yelling as loud as she could "LET US IN!" With each repeat of her performance, the whole crowd would go silent and more and more people would move away from her. On one occassion, an annonymous voice responded, "They'll get right on that" and she shouted back in that direction - "SHUT UP!" The crowd grew silent again. This woman was probably my age, and her mom stood beside her - hushing her, cowering from her, warning her. Hmm, if that were my kid.........

Finally, the doors opened and I didn't see her after that..... But, Mom did. As Mom stood in line, she witnessed this woman being escorted by 2 security guards and a manager out of Target, all the while yelling, "I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS STORE!" When Mom told me that - it put a cherry on my day..... Happy Holidays, Lady----