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Home > Archive > Oct 26, 2006

Home Again
By D. Gary Webb
Sports Editor

One of the really cool things about being a sports writer is we get to meet so many wonderful people. Sometimes they aren’t even sports fans, but for some reason our paths cross, and we strike a common bond.

It’s these people that often remind me of my priorities. Sports and games are my life and my love, and I can’t imagine life without them. It’s the people, however, that make sports and games meaningful.

Some of these relationships are short-term – lasting only until a son or daughter has graduated and moved on. Often, though, they last a very long time, and sometimes they come in and out of our lives, depending on what we are all doing at the time.

I have a friend I’ve known since my childhood. To my knowledge, the closest she’s ever come to sports was during night games in Dog Town. She probably would have been a pretty good athlete, but when we were in high school, there weren’t any sports for girls.

I lost track of her during the years we were each raising our families – well, I didn’t make much effort. Ok, I didn’t make any effort – but she kept track of me through my writing.
Some time ago, we found ourselves on the same track again, this time much older and hopefully much wiser. If not, we’re much slower, and sometimes that makes a difference.
My friend, however, seemed a bit slower than she should have. A cold seemed to linger, a cough lasted forever. I just hoped she would feel better, and when it became sure there was more wrong than I could see, I’m afraid I wasn’t a very good friend.

I’ve had a great life, one I’m fine with having lived, and for the most part, I’m happy with it. I never learned the art of keeping a distance, however, so there have been a few hard times and a few tears shed along the way. I’ve shared some of them with you over the years.
I didn’t want to be a part of this, and I really didn’t want to even talk about it. But sometimes we do things we don’t want to do because we’re all a part of what makes life great, and sometimes we end up better people because of it.

My friend is sick, and it’s going to take a while to get better. There isn’t a lot I can do, but what I can do I’ve promised I will do. Why? Better question: Why not?

I’ll still be at the games, and I’ll still show up in your mailbox every week. In fact, if we hadn’t sat down together this morning, you likely wouldn’t have even noticed anything different.
Maybe.

But maybe you will. Maybe you’ll notice that the score isn’t as important to me as your child or your neighbor’s child is. Maybe when I call or come by, you’ll notice I don’t ask how many touchdowns were scored but how impressed I was that Brandon didn’t get upset because he didn’t get to run at state, or how sad I was that Steven didn’t get to finish the season as strong as he’d have liked to.

Hey, don’t get me wrong. I’ll still battle to the last point on the racquetball court, and losing will forever be against my nature – although I’m getting more used to it every year I’m a Dodger fan – and I’ll try to teach my friend how to fight and scratch and claw for everything she can.
But between games, Kiddo, know you are cared for and watched over. You’ll be okay, I promise.

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