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STARTING ANEW DURING THE SHIVERING MONTH

by Dave Friant



February. More often than not, the coldest 28 (or 29) days of the year when arthritic and other nagging concerns seem to be more monumental. Runny noses. Chapped lips. The short-lived jitters associated with easing those reluctant cheeks onto a cold commode seat at a Quik Trip. Heebie jeebies alert! What’s more, a verbal donnybrook breaks out within the Friant household for thermostat control as we turn that sucker up or down two or three degrees to satisfy individual desires.

Bummer.

It’s additionally the time of the year when we exercise expressions of love for our Valentine. Even with he/she having been part of our lives for decades, there is something special about Cupid with his bow and arrow love connections that make the holiday a time to rejoice. Hallmark cards with wordings that re-ignite the intensity of commitments. Gooey chocolates in heart-shaped boxes; the guilty pleasures that don’t always pass the “wow, they’re good” taste tests and end up half-eaten on the kitchen counter. A bouquet of flowers that confirms the rightness of a relationship – typically still available during the late hours on February 13 in one of those haphazardly constructed tents in front of Kroger stores.

Please pass the hankies!

For many, it’s also the time to concern themselves with resolutions regarding some behavioral change(s). Challenges tossed onto the front burner in early January that for a variety of reasons become too difficult to handle by mid-February. Working out more at the gym. Reluctantly consuming a greater amount of healthy foods. Committing to efforts for more peaceful sleep. The old stand-bys that we all at least consider when slates are clean at the beginning of a year.

I typically don’t involve myself with resolutions where success or failure can be easily detected. Higher or lower numbers on the scale. Cutting back two days on visits to the gym for questionable reasons. The guilt of non-compliance is too difficult to handle. Schedules are constantly changing which make adjustments a major pain. Gatherings with family, friends, and food where Aunt Helen’s apple pie and Mitzee’s extra spicy chili with Fritos make obedience with diet demands impossible. A few other “it’s still early in the year” pronouncements to justify acts of defiance.

Being pursued during 2025 is an effort on my part to back off the pedal when it comes to personal likes and dislikes/wins and losses relating to athletics. Hold on now. I’ve not been drugged and the marriage is still quite stable. No need to break out into hands-holding and singing of Kumbaya around a campfire. I’m a bona fide sports fan. “Certifiable” as characterized on occasion by the maintainer of stability in the household, but still not off the beaten path when it comes to most athletic activities where scores are tallied. Curling and axe throwing are at the top of my personal exceptions to that list. I’m still as avid as most sports junkies reading this column. Very much a vocal supporter of my favorite teams locally and across the country. Reader of sports columns in local newspapers and listener to ex-jocks and other knowledgeable guys/gals on television.

Being a fan of televised sports matchups and additionally competing in several athletic contests has provided me over the years with plenty of plusses. Comradery with like-minded fans. Entertainment. Staying in shape. Exercising of vocal cords over the rightness or wrongness of a call.

But the downsides creep into the equation too. Getting overly worked up over a Cowboys/Eagles game or scoreboard updates associated with an Mavericks/Lakers basketball contest has caused high levels of stress over the years. Fervor is a tough nut to crack. Add to that the taking of a loss on the tennis court or not being the best of a dinner guest with the Mrs. after missing two five pins in bowling league clashes. Those who know me relegate it to an extreme “competitive nature” flaw in my makeup. Irreparable. Somewhere beyond being an avid fan and a passionate participant.

Shallow? I suppose so. Well beyond the mile marker of rational behavior.

I’m making an attempt to partially cool the jets. Stressing too much over favorite team outcomes and going for the W with opponents at any cost will inevitably take its toll on my well-being. Age has without invitation entered the picture in recent years – becoming a factor with emotional and physical ills which we all must endure.

While trying to come to grips with it, hopefully a major downshifting is in the cards. Gotta realize that given my more often than not floundering individual efforts athletically, the ESPN trucks will not be in the parking lot for post-game coverage. As for outcomes with sports teams, the sun will continue on a daily basis to rise in the East no matter who gets the W.

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