How many perfect moments happen in life?

How many times do find yourself in those perfect situations, that go like this.

You’re a great shooter, the very best on the court, and the defense leaves you wide open on the wing.

or (for those non hoopers)

You and the girl/guy you’d love to talk to/date/marry just happen to be at the same place, at the same time, and there is no one around to interrupt you.

Those are just two examples, but If you’re really a great shooter and the person you’re pursuing is thought to be attractive by you, chances are neither of you will be left alone for very long.

So what do you do?

The Jordan Fadeaway

No coach in the world will tell you that taking a fadeaway jumper from 15 feet is a good shot unless your first name is Michael and your last name is Jordan.

Seeing MJ play in person multiple times, the degree of difficulty of said fadeaway was only magnified.

I would sit there in disbelief at how he contorted his body, leaning back so far at times that his shoulder blades seemed to run parallel with the floor.  Then with a flick of the wrist, the ball would more times than not finds its way safely to its home.

How many fadeaways did Jordan take in practice sessions before it became an unstoppable, go to move?

Surely thousands upon thousands.

A Trailblazer

Back in the late 90s, as a high school kid, my brother figured out something that very few ever learn and hardly any are ever taught.

He understood then, when he would go 42-of-50 from 3 pt land, that making 43 or 44 or even 50 would only give a marginal increase in percentages shooting the ball in the perfect situation.

He also understood that during the course of any game he might get three or four of those perfect situations at most.

So he asked the question most never will, why spend hours practicing for the perfect moment?

And hours upon hours he would spend.

During the summer after his sophomore year of high school, he’d routinely take 4,000-5,000 jumpers a week.

However, a nice slice of those were off the move or with his feet in weird positions.

He taught himself to makes shots under distress by preparing for the imperfect moments of the game.

He’d routinely stagger his feet the exact opposite way they should be, by placing his left foot far in front of his right foot and pull up for one jumper after the other.

He’d also spread his feet to uncomfortable widths and repeat over and over.

Keep in mind we were both self taught.  When the 90s were the freshest thing out, we wore out the rewind and play buttons on the VCR trying to learn the game we loved.  We came up before the days of Impact Basketball and Orlando Hoops training.

My brother was ahead of his time…make that IS ahead of his time.  I still don’t know anyone teaching this.

It’s unorthodox to say the least.

I don’t even do it myself despite his constant encouragement to do so.

He always tells me, “You don’t need to practice spot up shooting anymore.  You need to practice everything off the move.”

He usually continues with, ” we’ve made so many shots in our life, that we will always be the best shooters, at most any court, even if we don’t practice.”

In the context of most city courts, that is a very true statement.

Move Association

The Fadeaway, Killer Crossover, Dream Shake, Sky Hook.

If you’re a basketball junkie, then surely images of Jordan, Tim Hardaway, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, just caressed your memory.

They took something that most coaches, before them, would frown upon and made it something they feared and coveted.  

Through hard work Jordan, Hardaway, Olajuwon and Abdul Jabbar made the imperfect…perfect for them.

When Being Great at Something Isn’t Enough

Innovators who put thought to action have shaped, molded and changed our world since the beginning.

They’ve never just accepted the norm.  They pushed beyond it.

The asked why or rather, why not, and then offered a solution.

I’ve always wondered what the dialogue was like when Michael Jordan went to Phil Jackson and told him that he wanted to post up?  Sure more guards start in the post now, but then, it was very much big man land.  How did Phil not think, you’re freakin’ Michael Jordan, just Michael Jordan whoever’s guarding you and let’s let the big guys play the post.  Who knows, maybe Phil did push back at the idea.  Maybe MJ insisted.

He changed the game.

I believe we all innovate, but just a handful actually see it through.  The majority stop when the realization that success requires the innovator to get their hands dirty.  The majority fall back into what is comfortable and that’s why you only see one person doing the fadeaway efficiently (Kobe), and none doing the “dream shake” or sky hook.

God doesn’t make great shooters and legendary moves

If we’re talking just wide open shooting alone in a gym, there is no doubt in my mind that I can outshoot huge NBA names like LeBron James, John Wall, Dwight Howard and on and on and on.  (Due to my physical limitations, obviously that wouldn’t translate to NBA games or playing them one on one, but just the art of shooting the ball, I’ve got them.)

Making shots is something I’ve worked on my whole life.  It has more to do with the fact that I can’t do what James, Wall and Howard can do, than anything else.  And the reason they can’t shoot the ball like me, is because they can do what they do.

God blessed them with physical abilities and size.

But God doesn’t make great shooters and legendary moves.

Now I’m not saying those guys don’t work – so save the hate comments.  But there is a reason LeBron isn’t killing people in the post.  There is a reason Wall isn’t killing teams with jumpers.  There is a reason Dwight can’t make a 12-15 footer and shot 49% from the free throw line this year (and it’s not big hands or his height – all you excuse makers need to give that one up [see Dirk]).  There is also a reason all I can do well is shoot.

We fall back into what is comfortable.  We fear failure and yearn for success, so we do what has got us to wherever we are.

When I go to the gym I practice shooting.  I don’t work on moves off the dribble or going to the basket hard.  I try to get better at what I already do well because every time that ball swishes through the net, I’m getting positive reinforcement to do another.

I love watching LeBron, John and Dwight.  I love what they’re able to do on the court.  They routinely leave me in disbelief.  But imagine IF LeBron worked on his footwork and post moves.  Imagine IF LeBron, John, and Dwight could shoot the ball as well as me.

Against 90 percent of the teams/players they face, they will have their way, but the other 10 percent is the problem because that is where champions are found.  It’s a somewhat similar tale for me on a much different level of course.  Against everyday people like myself, my ability to make shots is almost unstoppable, until I face a higher level of competition (see the people I’ve played for this site*) or someone who just knows my game extremely well (see my brother).

The difference between them and me is that it’s not physical limitations keeping them from getting better, it’s a lot of hard work at something God didn’t give them.

The legendary ones are just as gifted as the above mentioned, but they chose to focus on the weakness rather than the strength.

They chose to create a solution before there was a problem.

Michael Jordan wanted to be prepared for any and everything the defense threw his way and he was, maybe not a first, but over time for sure.

That’s why he’s the greatest. 

Time for Change – me vs. the Pros

I’m not getting any younger.  Later this month, I’ll be every bit of 35.  Still young by life standards, but in the basketball world, well not even Kobe is moving the same these days (still elite though).

I’ve spent my entire basketball life working on making a high percentage of shots in the perfect situation.

I know I can shoot the ball well.  Pros know I can shoot the ball well.  Mark Cuban knows I can shoot the ball well.

That’s kind of the blessing and the problem at this point.

It’s too predictable.

It’s time to try something new.  It’s time for change.  It’s time to prepare for the imperfect moments.

How I’ll Prepare for the Imperfect Moments

“I always wanted to be comfortable in any situation.  Playing against bigger or quicker guys doesn’t always afford you an open look.  You gotta make an open look.  Shooting at unexpected times or with imperfect foot positioning makes you unpredictable.  From there what used to be predictable (spot ups) become second guesses for the defender.  Taking the defense off guard creates chaos in love and war.  I want them to panic when their best doesn’t stop me.  I want them to know it’s over before the score says so.  Your jump shot won’t leave you.  It’s just looking to grow.” – Bob Eller

So with that said, over the next month, I plan on introducing the following to my workouts to see what effect it will have on my game.

• Shooting with my feet in weird/uncomfortable positions
• Shooting at least 50% of my attempts off the move
• Working on my floater (both hands)

Will it make the difference against the pros?  Am I just over matched?

Time will tell, but it’s worth the work to find out.

**Please note that I only support the foot positioning drills once a firm foundation of excellence in shooting has been established.

What Will You Do?

So that’s what I’m off to do.

How about you?  What are you doing to make yourself more prepared for those imperfect moments in life?  Are you focusing on improving upon a weakness like Michael Jordan did often in his career or will you just continue lowering your head and running to the basket until father time catches up with you?

Share your story of success or struggle in the comments section below.  I’d love to hear from you.

me vs. MJ…the journey continues.  As always, thank you so very much for following along.

And remember ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE with FAITH and HARD WORK!

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Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and mevsMJ.com Facebook Fan Page.

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If you’re new to the site, I set out in August 2010 to get a game of 1-on-1 vs. my childhood hero Michael Jordan.  This site is about that journey…through every valley, to every mountain top of triumph!

With two of the “healthiest” soft tacos on my tray that Taco Bell could put together, I grabbed my drink and slid into a one of the many loudly colored booths that make up the in house eating area.  It had been years since I had taken a seat in the most famous fast food taco establishment ever created, yet I was immediately taken back to my early college days when making a “run for the border” was almost a daily occurrence.

I didn’t just happen to stop by Taco Bell to reminisce in the middle of last month (March).  I was there to meet Ziarekenya Smith, pay for the design I had purchased from him and see what the designer who created the Michael Jordan piece shown above was all about.

This is how the meeting came together.

The Beginning:  “The Dopest Pic I’ve Seen!”-Marcus Jordan:

On March 7^th, I saw this on Twitter:

I follow both Marcus and Jeff Jordan, Michael’s two sons, on Twitter and while I don’t always click every picture they post, I had to see what Marcus was calling “The Dopest Pic I’ve Seen.”

I clicked the link, did the iPhone reverse pinch to enlarge the image and was amazed!  It was an image of Michael Jordan made up on only words.  They were words like “Hard Working”, “Dominance”, “Amazing”, and series of words like, “For the Love of the Game”, “I can accept failure.  Everyone fails.  But I can’t accept Not Trying”, and “Never Give Up”.

I was blown away!  I clicked the favorite button on Twitter so that I could go back later and look at it and then went on with my day.

Time To Find A Picture (A series of great events):

Usually the night before any posting I do here, I am typing in search criteria in Flickr, looking for a picture to use for the next day’s post.  Monday, March 16^th was no exception.  I had written a post titled, “What’s Your End Goal” and since my end goal is playing Michael Jordan 1-on-1, I was looking for a picture of greatness aka Michael Jordan.

It didn’t take long and once again I was captivated by the same Jordan image, Marcus Jordan had tweeted about some nine days earlier.  When I came out of my trance, I went from one link to the other before I was typing up an email, inquiring about buying this amazing Jordan Typeface for my home.

I sent the email at 6:13 pm Monday evening and continued the search for who this designer/artist could be.

The next morning I awoke, checked my email and had a response at 1:11am on my purchase.  I was back to trying to figure out who the creator of this was and using his name from the email I found a Facebook page that said he attended Full Sail University, a school that is just 35-40 minutes from where I live.

One thing led to another and three Fridays ago I was downing two soft tacos at Taco Bell, awaiting Ziarekenya Smith’s arrival.

The Arrival of Mr. Smith

As I was waiting for Smith to arrive, I had no idea how old he was or even what he looked like.  I didn’t know much at all about the gentleman who created this mind blowing design of Michael Jordan.  As I sat there, I still couldn’t believe that the person who created this, who was getting national attention for this, lived this close to me and was about to walk through the door.

He arrived right on time; bright red ball cap pulled down flush to some jet-black ray bans, a red backpack tugging at his red Nike shirt that said simply yet emphatically, “Doing It!”.  He was tall (6’4”), young and hip and it really shouldn’t have been a surprise.

He’s Only 19!!!!

Ziare sat down, pulled is Macbook Pro out of his bag and we began to talk.  What I thought might be a brief meeting, one in which I pay for the Jordan Typeface design I bought from him, turned into two and a half hour conversation about his work, his life, his passion.

The 19 year old that created a Jordan design back in September 2010, and was now getting National attention for doing so, was so much bigger than his awe inspiring design.

I left the meeting motivated and inspired!

I had to write about and do my best to let more people know about the young man from Detroit, Michigan with no car, nor any desire to have one (he’s afraid it might take away from his time designing), the guy with a design factory lodged inside his head (as I saw when he showed me other things he had done), and the man who sprinkled God over ever single part of his life during our meeting.

Ziarekenya Smith may only be 19, but has the wisdom of someone more than twice his age, and more dedication and determination than I have seen in anyone in quite some time.

He’s beyond focused on achieving greatness just like MJ and just like Jordan, Smith is about to be very special in this World.  Here is a little of our conversation from that Friday in March.

Me and Ziarekenya Smith (The Designer of the Jordan Typeface):

me:  How long have you been interested in design?

ZS:  I’ve been interested in designing since I was toddler.  I always had a thing for creating things when I was little.

me:  What made you want to do the Michael Jordan typeface?

ZS:  It’s really self explanatory.  First off it’s Michael and secondly God gave me a vision.  Plus Michael really motivated me as a designer.  He really lives up to hard work, dedication, passion, determination, resiliency and love for the game. I treat and look at designing in that way.

me:  Where did you get all of the text used for your creation?

ZS:  A variety of different Jordan sites.

me:  How long did it take you to design the Jordan piece?

ZS:  15 hours a day for 4 days straight, with little procrastination breaks.

me:  Were you ever able to see MJ play in person or on TV live?

ZS:  I wish I had, but no.

me:  Have you been surprised by the response your MJ work has received?

ZS:  I really have.  I knew it was a good piece, but I never knew it was good enough to catch this many people’s attention.  I just thank God for allowing my work to flow around the internet and to hit all the right places.

me:  What does it feel like to have Marcus Jordan tweet about your design??

ZS:  Most wonderful feeling ever just seeing him tweeting saying this is the dopest picture yet he has seen of his DAD!  It really touched me, I was very honored, because who knows how many designs he has seen of his DAD and yet he said that mine was the dopest!  It’s the best feeling ever!

me:  Do you think he showed his Dad (Michael Jordan)?

ZS:  I hope so, but eventually time will tell!

me:  This has made you sort of a celebrity around campus, I’m sure.  How does that feel?

ZS:  Sort of.  I just feel like I need to live up to the hype.  I don’t want people to think “Oh he just got that one design piece,” no I want to show people I actually do this.  I live and breathe designing everyday, and I’m not a one hit wonder.

me:  Have companies tried to hire you since this went National on Yahoo Sports?

ZS:  Nope, but one of my instructors from “Full Sail University” recommended that I redesign a EA Sports NBA Elite 12 game cover, because he knows the assistant director at EA Sports. He said if you design it i’ll submit it EA Sports for them to check it out.

me:  What message would you have for anyone who wants to create killer designs like you?

ZS:  Just Do It!  Make sure you have a passion for it first, make sure this what your heart desires and make sure you don’t consider designing working.  If you check off on all of that, the possibility of you becoming a great designer has no limits!  That’s just half the part and I don’t know where y’all at in religion, but God has been everything to my designing life.  That’s how my skills as a designer developed at a fast pace.  I just believe in God, believe in myself, and am just working hard every day designing, putting in major hours each day designing.  I’m dedicated and just want to be the best at what I do. I’ll end it with this, the more hours you put into your craftsmanship which is designing will determine weather you’ll be successful at designing or not.

me:  Your official logo is God Inspired Designs.  Where did that come from?

ZS:  The vision came to me at Feb 5, 2011 at 9am in the morning after I got done reading the Bible. That’s where it came to me because I always put God inspired designs at the end of my caption on my designs. So that’s why I decided to make “God Inspired Designs” my official logo till my life ends. The second reason why I wanted to be “God Inspired Designs” is that I finally realized in life it’s not about me at all, and I refuse to take credit that is not mine. I want people to know God gave everything to me in life:  my idea’s, tools, my determination, etc.  I just wanted to embrace God’s name and show people that he is real and not a myth, so when I become successful I don’t have to say it was because of man, I can say it was God, nothing more nothing less.

me:  What does God mean to you, your life and your designs?

ZS:  Everything I mean everything for example the day I put myself first before God that’s the day when my success will end.

me:  When do you graduate from Full Sail University?

ZS:  March, 2012.

me:  What would be your DREAM job?

ZS:  Working at Nike or having my own Company.

[flickr video=5480357522]

(This is a video Smith created to show his love of Nike.  Simply titled, “I Love Nike”, this might just be the kind of thing that lands him his dream job with the brand.  If you can’t see the video, click this link to watch it \”I Love Nike\” (Video))

me:  You also play basketball correct?

ZS:  YES! Love it!!

me:  Do you think you could take me on the court?

ZS:  Yes!  Show me my opponent!  Lol.  

me:  I love your confidence!  I will remember this when we play!!  Ok, what had you rather do:  Hang with Friends or Design?

ZS:  My life is backwards, hard work now to become successful, and have fun and play later when the mission is complete.

me:  What do you think that says about you?

ZS:  Victory is my only option Failure is not.

me:  OK, another one:  Date with Rihanna or Design?  Haha, sorry, had to:)

ZS:  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Designing! because I know it will eventually pay off.

me:  Anything else you would like everyone to know about you?

ZS:  As a Designer I just want to impact the world! Give this world hope and show people if I can make it, they can as well.  Just believe in God and believe in yourself and anything is possible I guarantee.

God Inspired Designs

I left my meeting with Smith feeling like I had just seen Michael Jordan back when he was at Laney High School.  Back before the World knew his name, but the people around him knew he was special.

That’s exactly where Ziare is at this moment.  He’s relatively unknown today, but that won’t last.  This Jordan piece, which is gaining momentum, could be just like Michael’s game winner at UNC, a launching pad to superstardom.

For the bright eyed Smith, who refuses to put his name on his designs these days because as he says, “If it’s good enough, people will find you,” his desire to be the Michael Jordan of design, could have people one day wanting to be the Ziarekenya Smith of whatever it is they do.

He’s special, no doubt.

I drove home following our meeting, picked up my iPad and opened my Bible application.  As I read, I couldn’t help but reflect on how God has led me.  How a tweet led to a meeting, which led to a lengthy conversation about the importance of God in both of our lives.

Smith’s Michael Jordan typeface, proof that it truly is a God Inspired Design.

Smith’s Future is DOPE!

Right now Ziare is just focused on finishing school and becoming the best designer that he can be.

After that, well we all shall see.

After multiple meetings and interactions, I can tell you this.  The young man, who reads the Bible daily because as he says, “If I have time to do everything else, I have time to read the Bible,” has a Future that is as DOPE as one of his God Inspired Designs.

Remember the name Ziarekenya Smith.  He’s about to BLOW UP!

Purchase Your Very Own Jordan Typeface ($7,000)

If you’ve got $7,000 to spare, you too can have your own 36×48 Jordan Typeface hanging on your wall.  Until then, I will remain the only person in the WORLD (other than Smith) who has one!

Now that’s DOPE!

More of Smith’s Designs and Photos:

Ziarekenya Smith’s Contact Information:

Portfolio | Email | Twitter | Facebook Page
(clickable links)

Note: Special thanks to my bro Ziarekenya Smith for the time and insight!  I hope to announce our joint project in the coming weeks!  Shhh, its a secret!!  Stay tuned!  [hint:  helping=exclusive gift]

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My Comeback Update:

So I made my comeback last week against one of the best ballers in the country, Robert Brown!  Then Saturday I got in three games of 1-on-1 against some normal competition and went 3-o.  I still have a ways to go to get my wind back, but I AM SO THANKFUL and feel SO BLESSED to be back on the court again!

me vs. MJ…the journey continues!  Thanks for following along and helping to spread the word (hint, hint )!!!

Something No Athlete Ever Wants to Feel (How it Happened)

I got the ball on the wing, faked right, exploded left.  It was game number four of 2-on-2 this past Sunday.   As I planted my right foot and pushed off trying to drive past my defender, I felt a pop in between my right calf muscle.  I couldn’t tell you what happened to the basketball.  All I know is I felt something no athlete ever wants to feel and my feet grew roots.  I couldn’t move.

After a few minutes, I hobbled over to the side of the court and sat down on the first row of the bleachers.  I leaned over, with sweat dripping off my face, held my leg with both hands, closed my eyes and prayed.   I know the guys were talking to me, but I couldn’t tell you what they were saying.

I think my brother and I were born with a pretty high tolerance for pain.   My brother once broke his big toe playing around at the house and then went and did a 2 hour basketball practice as a kid.  He knew it hurt, but didn’t know it was broken until he got home and took off his shoe to find a black and blue toe.   With that tolerance and the fact that I don’t like people to worry about me, I did my best to mask what I was feeling and encouraged the guys I was playing with to go have a 3-point contest.

I sat there, almost motionless as they shot, trying to stay upbeat and positive.  Deep down I feared the worst.   Is this how my journey to to play Michael Jordan would end?   How badly was I hurt?   If I’m hurt badly, which I have never been before in my life, could I deal with the rehab involved?  Was this my nightmare coming true?

As I watched them shoot ball after ball, I wished I could be out there.   Through my frustration, I did small self checks by moving my ankle and my knee.  No pain.  Just a sharp pain all around my muscle area.  I breathed a sigh of relief.   The positive side of me, the believer in me, prayed I would be healed.  I couldn’t go out like this.  I would never give up.   This couldn’t be how the story ends.

After watching the shooting contest, I made my way to my car, by taking a step with my good leg and then slowly moving my bad leg.   The guys offered to help, but I didn’t want to be helped.  I said my goodbyes and drove slowly to the closest pharmacy to get some pain medication.   By the time I got there, it was even worse.  My range of motion seemed to be going.   I hobbled through the store and to the cash register only to hear a worker make a poor joke about my injury.   I didn’t turn around, even though I wanted to beat him like a pinata.  I was angry.  Angry that this happened to me.   I knew he didn’t know my situation though, so I did my best to stay calm, thanked the lady who was helping me and slowly made my way to the car.

Scared

I got home and family and friends were calling to check on me.   Everyone feared the worst and while I appreciated their concern, hearing terms that rang up 6-12 month rehab sessions scared my soul.   I thought of NBA players over the years with injuries.  Fear wrapped me up.

A buddy of mine asked me how I was doing through twitter and I sent him a direct message back.  I was scared.   We conversed back and forth.  I told him everyone is talking major ligament/tendon damage and it’s freaking me out.   His response of, “probably best not to listen to anybody until you get it checked out,” eased my worry.

Still I made a call to a local emergency clinic, but they were unable to do any kind of test that would show damage other than a broken bone.

I sent a text to a friend I knew who was around the game at the highest level and would probably know better than anyone what I should do.  He asked me some questions, then walked me through the steps I should take and gave me advice on when I should go to the doctor.  He basically said it could be bad, but said to just to give it some time and take proper recovery action immediately.  I thanked him and felt somewhat better.

My wife, who had been out with some friends, got home shortly thereafter.   As she walked in the door and towards me, my eyes welled up with tears and I began to cry.  I was overwhelmed.

My Passion

If you’ve been following my journey, you understand how passionate I am about what I’m doing.   This isn’t a joke or ploy to become famous or make money.  This is my PASSION!   I felt I was making so much progress lately and now with the new gym, the sky was the limit.

I had a 1-on-1 match-up scheduled for this coming Saturday and was working on finalizing a 1-on-1 match-up with a very cool opponent that might surprise you.

I was at the rec center I just joined anytime I had time, so much so that one of the girls working there said this past week, “So you’re pretty passionate about basketball, huh.”  I guess that’s what happens when you stay longer than anyone else, until the gym is empty, just working on the game.  I honestly only leave the gym because I get so hungry that I can’t stand it or because I have to work or some other responsibility comes up.  I love every single part of it.

Dealing with Another Setback

After sitting in the same position on the couch, legged kicked up and iced on and off for eight hours, I took some more pain medication and made my way to bed with a pair of crutches my brother dropped off for me.   Before I did my best to fall asleep, I laid in bed and prayed that I would be healed.   I told God I would work even harder at my journey if he would only allow me to work.

I drifted off and only woke up a few times Sunday night.   Every now and then I would move the wrong way and feel a sharp pain, otherwise it was a good night’s rest.

I woke up Monday morning, not healed, but no worse.  With a heavy heart, so thankful, I smiled.

So I’m still on crutches.  I’m still icing it.   Still unable to walk or even put any pressure on it, but extremely optimistic that it isn’t major damage, but only a temporary setback.  If I don’t see anymore progress by tomorrow, I’ll be making my way to the doctor.

No matter the outcome, I WILL NOT QUIT!

I want to thank everyone who has reached out to wish me well or pray for me.  It means a lot!   This won’t be the end of my journey, I promise you that!  If I have to, I will hop on one leg and play Jordan.

Until I can move again, I plan on working on my ball handling while sitting in a chair.   I may even try to make it to the rec center later this week, just to sit on the court and be around the game.   I’ll do some updates through twitter (@KennyEller) to let ya know my progress.

As always, thanks for the support and for following along.

Definition of Sick:  Affected with disease or ill health.

Being sick is about as close to great as one baseline on a basketball court is to the other.

For those who don’t know their way around the game of hoops, when it comes to a basketball court the baselines are the extremes of each end.

Last week I did the following:

Monday:  Ran 5 miles in 36 minutes and 55 seconds (new personal best)!!!

Tuesday:  Played basketball for 1.5 to 2 hrs.  Caught fire in game four and lit some players up!  (That’s a good thing ;-))

Thursday:  Played more basketball.

The Warning!

I felt a bit worn down going into each of the above, but once I got moving, I was fine.

Then this happened

I woke up Friday morning extremely congested.  You know the swollen, tired eyes.  The can’t breathe, if you didn’t have a mouth you’d suffocate kind of congested.

I took some meds, called in sick and worked from home.

Everyone is sick

Everyone around me has been sick lately.

My whole family, down to my little niece Ava, has been sick with some vicious stomach bug for the last two weeks.  It has beat down one individual and right as they are about to get their strength back, it jumps to another and crumbles their defense like a Jordan fadeaway.

The last victim has been my Dad.

I guess that’s what comes with Autumn and flu/cold season.

The Doctor (A cold or allergies??)

At 2:30pm on Friday I went up to the local Centra Care (no appointment needed) and put my name in the lottery to see if I would be called.

Ok, it doesn’t really work like that, but being there three hours definitely made it seem that way on this trip.

The doctor ran me through some tests, typical stuff, before proclaiming that it appeared to be the “common cold.”

Tangent time (a new name for the “common cold”)

On a side note, why would you call something you can’t treat “common”?

Shouldn’t it be called the “Jordan”?

Think about it.  You know it’s coming, but you can’t stop it!

When asked, I’d much prefer to tell people, “Oh, I’ve got the Jordan!”

Back to Doc

So the doctor gave me a prescription for some antibiotics, along with a, “if it’s a cold, it’s not really going to matter so much,” and I was on my way.

I had hoped that maybe he would have said it’s just allergies, but he didn’t.

Frustration and Curves

In the last couple of months I’ve done everything possible to condition myself for the Impact Basketball training.

To say I was looking forward to it would be a great understatement.

I knew when this journey began there would be curves in the road.

Curve number one came up on me like the paparazzi does Kim Kardashian.  Outta nowhere!

In life, I handle curves fairly well, if I do say so myself.

I always think that God has a plan for me and that if I’m late, due to non-normal traffic flows, or anything out of the ordinary happens, that it is God’s way of directing me.

It’s my faith.  It’s what I believe.

Lack of Faith…My Ugly Truth

I didn’t handle this setback well at all.

I acted like a faithless, 14 month old that wanted his bottle and wasn’t going to be happy until he got it.

You know in the movies where people throw things?  That’s how I felt.

I wanted to throw and smash and scream.  Didn’t do any of those, but if I didn’t mind the clean up, I probably would have.

While I still posted things to Twitter and Facebook over the weekend like, “I hope I get healed today,” my faith was walking the tightrope and somewhere it fell off.

Not gonna make it

As the minute hand of the clock continued its run like a hamster on the wheel, the reality that I would not be going to Impact Basketball training this week became more and more clear.

I even tried to go up to the court Sunday afternoon by myself and work into a sweat, to see how I would do.

At the close of that all heart event, I knew it was time to reschedule my training.

Why Being Sick is Great

I titled this post, Being Sick is Great, because this curve in the road has reminded me.

It has reminded me where my focus should be.

It has shown me that while I have grown in some areas, I may have taken a step back in others.

Being sick has put me on a path to regain my focus in my faith.

That’s why being sick has been great.

Impact Basketball (Rescheduled)

Thankfully, Matt, down at Impact Basketball was very understanding of my situation.

When I asked about a possible need to reschedule, he wrote back:

“You just tell me when you are feeling better and are able to come in, and I will make it work.  Like I said from the beginning, I like what you are doing and am looking forward to working with you!”

So with those kinds words, I am now re-scheduled for the week of November 1st through the 5th.

Again, I can’t wait!!!

A dash of perspective

My goal is to regain my health and more importantly, my focus.

My hope is that early on the morning of November 1st, I will be headed to train.

If something else comes up though, then it does.

Curves in the road merely slow me, they don’t stop me.

Me vs. MJ…the journey continues!  Thank you again for following along!