As I was driving home from a weekend of reserve duty at Camp Lejeune, NC, I had about five hours to reflect on my life, and the events that have shaped it over the past 15 years. Life is a complicated thing. From the time we enter this world, to the time we leave it, we are nothing but pawns in a chess game called life. In fact, when you really sit back and think about your life, it is actually one gigantic illusion. The present slips away in the blink of an eye, quickly becoming the past. The only thing we have to hold on to are our memories of those moments.
With this in mind, I felt it necessary to post a blog that might just give us some of those old memories to ponder. And what better memories do we have here on the Fox Blogs...than those of sports. I will be looking specifically at the years between 1993 and 1996…as those years will lead into the message of my blog. However, don’t be surprised if I don’t throw some actual life experiences in there along with the sports.
1993 was quite a year in my life. As a teenager, I had attended a church camp on the coast of North Carolina during our summers off from school. It had been my dream to one day be a “staffer” at this camp. After all, those staffers were my heroes during those years. Well, after applying in the spring of 93 for a summer job at this camp, I was accepted…yee haw!!!! My Tar Heels had just won the NCAA Basketball National Championship, and Davey Allison was burning up NASCAR as an up and coming driver. Little did we know that he would end up leaving us all too soon when his helicopter crashed that summer….and we may very well have lost one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time, if he only would have had the chance!! With this being said, that was the best summer of my life…as you will see later.
1994 brought another summer as a “staffer”…and who could ever forget the OJ Simpson saga!!!! Although we wouldn’t learn for another year what his fate would be, we all were left bewildered and appalled at what he had likely done. Baseball ended early that summer, as the players went on strike. Jeff Bagwell was on his way to a possible triple crown, until the almighty dollar reared its ugly head!!!
1995 brought, you guessed it, another summer as a “staffer”. Although it was a slightly shortened season, due to the strike, my Atlanta Braves won their one and only World Series that fall. And I can’t mention 1995 without remembering those who lost their lives in the Oklahoma City bombings. And we will never forget the heroes who likely saved as many as died.
1996…yes…okay, one last summer as a “staffer”. And who will ever forget Kerri Strug’s heroics on the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team that took home the team gold. She had sprained her ankle earlier in the competition, and yet was able to suffer through the pain, and pull off a miracle for U.S. again!!! On a downer, however, my North Wilkesboro Speedway would lose its races after 1996. It still sits there empty…with the ghosts of the past still being heard from time to time…if the wind is blowing just right!!
From there I would go on to get a Master’s Degree at Campbell University. I would then join the military during its most turbulent times in over 30 years. I would see two combat tours and lose three of my buddies in the process.
This all leads me back to 1993. As I sat at the gate of the camp where I was working, I can remember feeling the warm coastal breeze in my face. I remember a car pulling up to the gate, with a man and his wife, both in their 30’s, wanting to make a round through the camp. He was a former “staffer”, who had worked there during the early 80’s. He said to me, “you better make the most of these days, for they will be the best of your life…and they will pass quickly.” And of course, being the cocky 20 year old that I was, I thought to myself….” Whatever dude…these days will last forever…and I will stay young forever!” That was 14 years ago…and I’m now 34.
Next weekend, two of my old buddies and I will be taking a road trip to visit this old church camp. They were two of my closest “staffer” buddies during those years. We have since gone our separate ways, each of us choosing our own paths. However, we have remained close over the years…and I can honestly call them my brothers. I’m very excited about seeing this place again….which has a strong nostalgic pull. And yet I find myself equally as excited about what the next 15 years will bring in my life.
Sports is something that keeps us young. It keeps us close. And as heroes grow older, and eventually fade, young heroes will simply take their place, and keep sports on the tips of our tongues, and at our fingertips. Keep blogging my brothers and sisters. And remember, the NOW is already gone!!!
I apologize for the formatting issues. I have no idea how to fix them. I've tried over and over again...and it never posts the blog the way you have it written. Again, I apologize!!!
Hey Fatmaw!!
Reflection is a tough thing to do well....we tend to make the "Wins" bigger, and the "Losses" smaller, as time seperates causes and effects....
But..... Live in TODAY, smile about YESTERDAY, and hope for TOMORROW....
BTW.... the formats not too bad.... at least you've got graphics..... I won't even attempt those...
I wouldn't worry about the formating as they look fine. The only thing you could try is to cut a photo and try to re-enter it as "absmiddle". Then, you can click the mouse to the left of the photo and use your spacer bar antil it's centered. That should do it.
With that said, this is a BOTD posting. Straight from the heart with a great content. This is my favorite Fatmaw and it sure gets to a person. I hope you all have the best time possible. I'm sure you will. Thanks for your service, and sharing this great write.
thanks steeler...i appreciate that. I'm a very nostalgic person. My best friend in the whole world come from my time spent at this camp...and in the military. I find it hard to believe that time has gone by so quickly. Make the most of your time....as it will be short.
Thanks steeler, for your honesty...and your integrity on this blogsite. You're a true WINNER!!!!
steelerfan...one of those two buddies I will be making that trip with has a white 64 cadi convertible...and we're going to cruise the beach road in style....I CAN'T WAIT!!!
Matt...u will have the time of ur life! I loved the memories saga...I thought I was the only one who thought Keri Strug was a stud! (why is Bab's "memories" singing in the background?) I hope u have a gr8 time, and this was a wonderful post. Hugs and kisses,
Lise
Thanks lisa...I can't say as I remember being more excited about anything...other than coming home from war. There is something that grabs you when you pass through that gate on the end of the island where that camp is. The camp is literally the end of an island. There is a pier that juts out into the mouth of the Cape Fear River as it empties into the Atlantic. GOD IS DEFINITELY IN CHARGE!!! It's almost like entering a new realm. I think of it often....especially while in combat zones!!!
Its crazy how quickly life passes you by, one day you're 20 next your fifty and thinking where the heck did the last thirty years go, thanks for sharing a little piece of your life, have a great trip!
Matt-good stuff buddy. Brings back memories of my time at Camp Lejeune, Cape Fear Comm College, and of course the Gulf War-Lost some buds in that danged thing. Don't worry 'bout format or what not-cool readin'-I'm still trying to figure out if I've got proper software for pics, paste and copy, blah, blah... Wife's trying to help. Take care pard, Dave
My church go's to the Wilds where Socal is talking about. they evenmade a video for the church to wth. It was an yearly event for us kids in our house. We couldn't wait to go. ( We went to another one, not the Wilds). Always the best time. Now this was church camp and it was structured for teachings out of the Bible., verse learning and how to control teenage lust,we the last one seemed lke it.lol
Thanks guys/gals....for all the comments. I'm sure it will be a blast.
Marty/Socal...never heard of The Wild? What denomination is it? That's a beautiful part of North Carolina down there though...I'm sure it was a blast.
Vearl..you are correct..time passes, literally with the blink of an eye.
Xbulrdr8...always good to have you stop by. Looks like you've been blogging up a storm over the weekend. I was able to comment on a post or two Saturday...when I logged on to my old computer at the MEF. I'm surprised it wasn't a blocked website...as tough as they're getting on those things over there.
Marty...i grew up southern baptist..though I've sorta grown apart from them over the years. There is another camp in Asheville, NC called Ridgecrest. Our Baptist Student Union at ASU would always go up there during the fall of the year. It's gorgeous up there!!
Nice post, fatmaw. It seems that by the time you realize how fast life passes, it's already passed you by. This was a nice reflection, part of the quality work I've come to expect from you. Good job!
jgrace...thanks. These are my favorite type posts. I actually had ambitions of doing a post on all 15 of those years between 1993 and 2007...and yes, including 1993, that is 15. However, I don't think anyone would be interested in reading something with that much content. So maybe i'll just do a parts one thru five.
matfaw1 .......... The infamous OJ trial still sticks in my mind to this day. And the injustcie and all that followed just goes to show how much that the country hadn't really changed. Insoumch as we'd like to think that it realy has we're still seeing a lot the real inherent problems that had best us then now cropping up time and time again. And yet we still can't slove them or for a lack of wanting to solve them. I'd arrived here from the UK in '92 think that a change would've done both the wife and I some good. Little did I know how it'd change both our lives we'd be separated within six years having basically grown apart from one another. She still lives in South Florida but I moved away to the central part of the state to be away from all of the bad influences and in some respect one of the more emotionally traumatic periods of my life. Things are now a lot better and for that I'm really grateful. I'd learnt a lot more about myself and have put those lesson to good use.
top..as always..good to see you. I'm awfully sorry that you have had to go through a nasty divorce. I can't blame you for moving away...if for any other reason than to get away from all the bad karma and vibes from that area. There are a lot of things about this country that are mind boggling...no doubt. However, it is still the best country to live in on the planet. As much as we like to complain...we have it the best of anyone.
fatmaw1 .......... The local sports talk radio stations here in my locale of Central Fl are really aghast that Donovan wants to return to the Gators. Some want him back and others are looking at this as something of a joke as he's made himself out be nothing more than an imbecile. He was so upfront that he was seeking a challenge and having signed a contract he's now already backing out of it. Obviously he's got more than commitment issues as it's my belief that he had cold feet altogether.
What does that really tell us about the man as a whole ? I for one can't believe that he's doing this to the franchise and at the same time will no doubt be seeing empathy from many of the Gators' fans out there. Perhaps in the long run it was for the best for both parties. But one can't help wondering how badly ran an organisation is the Magic in the first place. Nine coaches in the almost fifteen years of their existence. That's got to be some sort of a record ?
great post we would remiss not to mention another driver that was as talented as davey ,, #### moroso's best gift to the world of motorsports robbie moroso
Ramp...I respect your opinion of Donovan...and I understand your angle on it...however, I will have to respectfully disagree. I think Donovan was pressured by the speed of Orlando's offer..and was lured by their encouragement and the almighty dollar. The one aspect of all this that seems to get lost in the shuffle is the impact his departure would have had on the Florida players he had recruited..and subsequently the team. In the end Billy did the right thing by his family and his players. I respect him immensly for his decision. I think the fact that Orlando is going to require him to stay out of the NBA for another five years will keep Billy honest...and keep Florida happy. We've lost our values as a society...and Donovan just gave us hope..as he realized his error and thought about "doing the right thing" as opposed to giving in to the lights and the glamour. Just my two cents.
Hey there punk hoodrat, ready for another go around. Tought I wouldn't be back. truth is I never left. Iwatched your gloatin and if you want some of me bring it on
why hello there Mark....nice to see ya. Glad to see we can get aquainted thru insults. I guess you also see how peaceful it is around here. If you've been around...you also see that nobody else wants you around either. And I assure you, we will keep it that way!!
fatmaw1 ......If you read my resposne closely I'd not stated as such that Donovan was being pressured by the Magic organisation. However he'd led them to believe that he was intent on taking the job. My only position regarding this was that he was disingenuous to not only himself but also to the organisation for stringing them along. His integrity is now shot to hell and as far as most are concerned he can never really be trusted again to give his word. It'd seem that no longer is a man's word his bond.
ramp...it isn't necessarily wrong for a man to change his mind...expecially when the final outcome..may actually be the right decision for his family...and those most affected by it. I think that's what I'm trying to say here.
fatmaw1 ...... It may not be wrong but in my eyes Donovan's actions were wrong. As he led everyone to believe that he'd be taking the job. Especially after he'd willingly signed a contract. You just don't back out of such a thing without having good reason to do so. And as of yet we've yet to learn the reason behind his decision. He's made himself look like an absolute #### in the eyes of many. Upon his return to the college ranks how's he going to say to a young recruit that I'll be with you all the way and in for the long term with this incident hanging over his head ? That recruit can't take anything he says as fact. As he'll be hard to believe ! Trust afterall is a two way street ! There's not much difference between his actions and that of Nick Saban's. The fact of the matter however was that Saban lied through his teeth when asked if he'd be leaving the Dolphins when approached by the press on the matter.
Donovan in this case just showed his immaturity !
fatmaw1 ........ My brother is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. I'd spoken with him over the weekend. And he was expecting to return home for a two week furlough. But that may well happen but then he'll return back to the front straight after that for what I believe will be his third tour out there. There's talk now that the British government might well push ahead with the timetable to bring the troops home. If that should happen then I for one will be thankful. But I'd still like to think that there'd be something that can be done with regard to the US troops that are still there. It's a sad indictment of an administration that went about its planning in such a haphazardous way. They can't now even extricate themselves from the mess that's been caused from this invasion. And what have we ultimately got to show for it all in terms of anything tangible ? We've overthrown Hussein but have created an environment where it has led to an allout civil war between two religious factions with the troops caught up in the middle.
And at the end of it all we're no closer to catching Bin Laden than we are to finding an everlasting peace in the region.
Nice read and memory....thank you for sharing it with us...
So how was your one month duty in the Camp?
Reserved always work one Month every six Months isn't ?
underage...it's one weekend out of each month. I spent three years on active duty (full time)..and now I'm just doing the one weekend out of each month deal. So which camp is it? What's the name of the town you're in?
awesome post in that it came from the heart and you were able to share something personal with evrybody .. not alot of ppl can do that and pull it off without it sounding forced or made up good job my man
gr8one54...thanks dude. Honestly, this is how i prefer to write. If you will go back to my earlier blogs when I first started here, you'll see more of this...then the whole dusty thing sorta ruined that i guess. So I'm gettin back to my roots here. Appreciate you stopping by
top...sounds like you've got a lot of opinions about this war...as everyone else does. I certainly respect your opinion, and pray that your brother returns home safely.
fatmaw1 ...... I hope he returns home safely also. He's got three young kids who miss thier father more than anything else. I'd hate for the last thing they remember of him, is of him going off to war. Although he and his ex are apart he still played an important role in their lives. And that if anything gives me cause for concern. As he and his ex were also trying to reconcile their relationship before he departed with a view to remarrying. It now makes the whole thing that more exceedingly difficult. As for my views with regard to this conflict , I know that it won't be shared by many but having seen it firsthand for myself when I served in Ireland. Just as the conflict there was basically coming to an end. I can tell you this, that death , carnage and destruction is not a pleasant thing to be seen at any time. My stance with regard to the conflict in Iraq is that the battle is being fought on the wrong front. That above all is my major concern and for the health and good standing of the armed forces out there in harm's way. I've got three pieces up under the tophatal guise that you might be interested in reading if you've got the time. They're as follows.... Marginally Less Talented Than William Hung But At Least They're Better Looking Than Him !...... I'll Say What I Mean And Mean What I Say Does That Sound Right Hon ? ...
fatmaw1 ....... I'm not much of a hockey fan. But it'd appear that everyone is making a big deal out of the fact that Anaheim won the Stanley Cup. If it were really that relevant then I believe that the public at large would've shown in a lot more interest in the outcome. As it is there's barely that much coverage being given to the sport as a whole. Insomuch as only four of the thirty odd cities that have an NHL team even bothered to send a sport's correspondent to even cover the event itself. That's a sport that's not quite dead as of yet but a respirator will be soon brought in if they aren't able to turn things around in terms of corporate sponsorship and a much wider tv audience as a whole. It's all but become a minor sport in the minds of many. One no longer really deems it to be one of the four major sports, as it was once was. If anything it has fallen off the public's conscience and radar screen as a top tier sport.
Well if u have been watching today, u have seen that we all have kissed and made up like one big happy family!! LOLOL Anyway it's all good-just can't take things personal-I was ready to go high and to the right this morning when I sat down...blah, blah..It's done-Learned alot though- Quite a few people stood behind me & that's cool. Thanx bud, Shorty
fatmaw1 ..........I don't suppose that you're of the same opinion with regard to Donovan anymore are you ? 'cause all it really shows him out to be is a rather stupid and indecisive individual. He was in now way presssured by anything that Orlanso had done. He'd been afforded every opportunity by the franchise prior to his making the decision to sign and accept the offer. It was something of his own making. His integrity is shot to hell. And he's not only hurt himself in this matter but has shown that he'd been disingenuous right from the start. Only a misguided fool would've acted in such a way. Unsure my a*s ! What was his family there for in the first place ? Was it not to act as a barometer on the matter ?
Thankfully he's returning to the Gators as God knows what might've happened under his tenureship in those first few months. The same indecisiveness that he'd shown in making up his mind would've been shown on the court. And that's something that the franchise already knows something about under some of their previous coaches. An honorable man doesn't sign a contract and then forty eight hours later change his mind and whimpers off like a spoilt child in a candy store ! Check my piece under the tophatal guise on the subject. I'll Say What I Mean And I'll Mean What I Say Does That Sound Right Hon ? Sound
Last edited by rampantfanatic on July 7th at 4:49 PM.
Hello sports fans. My name is Matt Faw. I am from North Wilkesboro, NC. North Wilkesboro is a small town about 90 miles north of Charlotte, NC. I am a United States Marine and was very happy when we were able to follow college and professional football while deployed to Iraq in 2004. I am a die-hard Tar Heel fan. I actually grew up a huge Oakland Raider fan, a closet Chicago Bears fan, and came to be a die-hard Carolina Panthers fan after their inception into the league in 1995. Needless to say, the Raiders nor the Bears have given me much to cheer about over the years, with the exception of few good years. The Panthers have been more competitive on a more consistent basis over the past ten years than either the Raiders or the Bears. Debate on fellow sportsters. mattfaw@gmail .com
