Ryan’s last two lacrosse games for this season were earlier today. He’s been a goalie for a year-and-a-half now and he’s gotten pretty good, expecially since he’s just 11. It takes a special mentality to stand in there, shot after shot. If you notice in the image above, the ball is in the right side of the image flying toward him. Don’t worry, he saved that one.
I wasn’t sure he was going to play this season. He had a rough experience this summer, playing up two age levels against elite travel competition and it was a disaster. His confidence was obliterated and his body took a beating. His coaches admitted they were worried he was done after the experience. He put his stick in the corner when we got home from the last tournament and it stayed there, untouched, until about a week before the fall rec season. With the sign up deadline approaching, we talked and he decided to try again and see if he could get back in the groove. He really does enjoy playing and especially being part of a team. The result: He went 9-1 on the season and continued to get better and learn his position.
I don’t know how long he’ll keep playing. He’s looking forward to trying out for the JV team in a little over a year, so that’s his next goal. But however long he decides to stick with it, I’m immensely proud of his determination and resilience.
Mr. Daunt has demonstrated that consistency doesn’t rank very high on his priority list. New York City has nine Barnes & Noble stores featuring four different logos above the front doors.
I went to the UCDA conference this weekend. (University and College Designers Association.) I drove to Atlanta on Friday night, attended sessions Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Returned to Columbia Monday night. I may be creatively recharged, but I’m straight up exhausted.
At my son’s lacrosse game today and a family’s dog came onto the field and attacked one of the players when the play came close to the sideline. The kid had to go to the ER and get stitches.
I know people love to take their dogs everywhere, but maybe they shouldn’t…
Finally updated to macOS Sonoma on my Mac and iOS on my iPhone. My watch didn’t update because apparently, I don’t have enough space… not sure what that is all about.
Reading back through some journal articles for class from 2001 about the potential of the internet to shape public relations. It’s a flashback to a moment after the popularization of the web, but before social media. A very different world. (I miss that world.)
Got to film in the South Caroliniana Library on campus today. Hadn’t been in since the renovation started in 2015. Designed by Robert Mills in 1840, South Caroliniana is the oldest freestanding college library in the United States. The renovation/restoration is phenomenal.
Today is a holiday, but my daughter needed to study and I had some grad school work to do so we headed out to Starbucks. This was the only coffee shop near my house when I started grad school and I was here for long hours most weekends. It was open late and was seemingly always filled with other grad students. After COVID shut everything down, several new coffee shops opened up including two very close to my house. I don’t visit “Grad School Starbucks” very often these days, but it’s funny how a space can hold so many memories…
I realized a long time ago that watching South Carolina play football on TV just stresses me out. So I’ll follow along with the game against UNC on the ESPN website. I’ll be happy if they win. And I’ll be less frustrated if the lose.
