He Shoots, Heā¦ Misses?
Manhattan Beach, California. Wednesday, February 26th.
I canāt believe itās been more than three weeks since I attended my last sporting event: the Super Bowl.Ā
How is it possible that in all that time I have yet to explain why I shut down Sports Year on Day 151? Please accept my apologies for the delay. Iāve written several drafts of this, but I havenāt been able to bring myself to actually post it. Basically, Iāve been struggling with embarrassment.
I didnāt even get halfway through the year. Ā #Fail. Six months wouldāve been okay; I coulda lived with that. But 151 days? That just seems lame. But Iāve discovered that living with crushing debt is lamer.
Iāve got unshakable faith in myself. Well, maybe I should say that I used to have unshakable faith in myself. My failure to complete this journey has left me a bit rattled. But when I began, I was absolutely certain that a corporate sponsor would swoop down and support me. I didnāt need big money; just enough to keep me going. Sadly, I failed to crack the social media code, and as a result, failed to garner interest from sponsors. Pro-tip: Starting a yearlong journey in debt is a really good way to incur a lot more debt.
Which is why I had to shut down Sports Year and get a job. Both parts of that sentence hit me like liver punches. But there are worse fates in life than working.
Fortunately, on Day 2 of the trip I met the national sales director for a medical device company, and he offered me a gig. Part of me felt like a loser in having to slink back into the sales world, but the majority of me was pretty freaking psyched that someone was willing to give me another shot. After all, I wrote the book that should have led to a lifetime ban from the medical industry. So Iām wearing my sales hat again; itās a little loose ā Iāve lost a lot of hair since 2005 ā but it feels good.
Know what feels even better? Looking back on what I experienced during my short-lived 151 days on the road.
On Christmas Eve, I pulled into a bowling alley parking lot caring only about seeing some people knocking down pins so I could keep the streak alive. Forty-five minutes later, I left with a better understanding of determination. Thatās what happens when you meet a pair of teenage brothers who bowl in their wheelchairs.
Despite their degenerative muscle disease, they compete for their high school team. Talk about an early Christmas present.
If you get the chance, go watch the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball team enjoy their time on the field like they donāt have any problems at all.
Youāll leave marveling at the resiliency of the human spirit and a renewed appreciation for how good youāve got it.
During my 151 days I discovered womenās sports. Yes, I realize how stupid that sounds. But Iād previously hardly seen any, so Iām thrilled to say that I met my pre-trip goal of attending 45% female events. A goal! I actually achieved one of my goals!!!Ā If not for Sports Year, I would remain oblivious to the fun and bon homie found at womenās games, not to mention the competitiveness and physicality on the fields and courts. Plus, I found a new favorite sport: womenās indoor volleyball.
I took five wounded veterans to games on their sports Bucket Lists. Statistically, this was a ginormous fail; I had hoped to average one per week, yet I barely mustered one per month. On the plus side, I made new friends and I helped some men forget their troubles for a few hours. Specifically, one soldier and his grandfather ā lifelong Packer fans ā attended their first game at Lambeau Field.
In another case, spending the day with me resulted in LSU baseball honoring an ex-soldier for his service and sacrifice prior to a home game on Sunday February 23rd. I wish I couldāve been there in person to see his face when the crowd ā the fans with whom he has seen countless games over the years ā gave him a standing ovation.
On a less tangible level, I learned that my story inspired people. Very few adults can drop everything and try something as crazy (foolish? Stupid?) as attending a different sporting event every day for a year in all 50 states. Even those who questioned my sanity and/or intelligence shared their envy or expressed their admiration for my breaking the pattern and chasing a dream.
Worst case? I had a freaking blast watching sports every day for 151 days, making new friends and reconnecting with old ones all across the country. Watching my buddies watch their kids play proved to be both more mind bending and more fun than I had anticipated.Ā
Best case? I learned some important things about myself, things I probably shouldāve discovered a long time ago. #SlowLearner. What are they? Well, youāll have to wait for the book to find out. Yep, despite my inability to come close to completing Sports Year, a literary agent is still very interested in working with me on the book. Apparently, trying and failing but landing on my feet makes for a more compelling story than merely succeeding would have done. So, Iāve got that going for me, which is nice. (RIP Harold Ramis)
Being off the road, itās strange to have uninterrupted quiet all day long. In this age of Twitter, I find myself missing tweets of a different variety: those from a refereeās whistle.
Thank you to everyone who hosted and fed me and gave me tickets; I'm forever indebted to you. Thanks also to those who followed along on my journey on Facebook and Twitter.
I hope I gave you all something to cheer about.