Ten Minutes to Grace and Mercy

I am setting the timer on this one.

I have noticed a trend…

OK, I won’t call it a trend, exactly, but I have noticed other bloggers giving themselves ten minutes to write on a topic. They can’t go back and edit, they can’t go back and fiddle with it.

It is as it is when the timer “dinged”.

I’m not sure I can do that, but I shall try my best. 

Lest you be confused, this introductory rambling here is NOT under the time clock, because as we all well know, I would expound for ten minutes about the rules (and other various things that pop into my head) and then the timer would ding before I actually said anything.

Actually, I’m not so certain I ever say much at all.

I know you're certain of it as well.

If you knew how many posts I begin and scrap you might be surprised.

Or not.

Most of the ones I scrap have some meat to them.

You know…I actually have a point.

I wonder what that’s like? The world may never know. (Yes, I was channeling the vintage Tootsie Pop commercials. Here is a version of it if you would like a refresher.)

OK, I really am preparing to write. I instructed my 10yo…who is actually folding the laundry at the moment. Yes, you read that correctly…at 7 this morning I gave him the “To-Do” list for the day and he’s already chosen to do two of his chores…pick up dog poop in the yard (so his brother can mow), and now he’s folding laundry.

The 11yo is still asleep. Too much week-end for him. He’ll be THRILLED to sleep in though, so I dare not wake him.

But he won’t be thrilled to know that there is a “To-Do” list. It’s not long. It’s not tedius. But it does exist, and that will be enough for him to be irritated.

And really, he should not be surprised that there's a list...he's met me.

Anyway, I instructed the 10yo that I am going to do a timed writing and asked to not be interrupted during the time: “Could you please not get sick or injured in the next ten minutes?  Because I really don’t want to be disturbed while I write.”

Very seriously he replied, “Yeah sure!” And no, it wasn’t because he was still engage in the TV; he was actually looking at me and listening.

Will wonders never cease? This is shaping up to be a memorable Monday for sure.

Can you tell I’m stalling?

Fine...NOW I’m starting.

________________________

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t dreading my 11yo’s soccer team next year.

There’s much hubbub about it. There’s a parent meeting tomorrow night. There’s something afoot. Trouble right here in River City.

There is a rival team, part of which chose to leave our club at the end of the U9 spring season.

It was fine.

OK, that’s a lie and I don’t lie.

I try not to lie.

We all lie because we are wretched, sinful creatures, but I digress.

It was AWFUL after they left. The coach of the team took his son and those players he deemed to be “the best”. Understanding, those parents had a choice…they could leave or not. Pretty much the entire team was invited to leave with the exception of a couple.

Us included…in that couple who were not asked.

That in and of itself was hurtful, but oh well. It was what it was. We wouldn’t have left anyway.

Well, fast-forward to now. That rival team/club is calling it quits. I don’t know the specifics because I haven’t been privy to such information, so in an effort to not further disparage anyone, I won’t even speculate on the “whys” of it. But they are. This spring is it for them.

Fine for us…they have been intense rivals for us these past three years.

We were glad when we finally beat them this spring. We ended up playing them three times as it were.

They beat us once, we beat them once, and the final game was a draw.

And the was a little ugly…one of their parents yelling at the ref after the game. Which we thought the refs (all three…the center and the linesmen) did an excellent and professional job. They didn’t hesitate to make calls on both sides.

Sometimes I think this rival club has a reputation which precedes them and the refs are intimidated.

But again that is speculation.

Anyway…since this club is breaking up, they have all been told to come back to our club for next fall.

I don't know who did the telling, nor the whys. Again...I dare not speculate.

OK, I am speculating in my head but not expounding on it here.

Ugh. It hurts my heart. It hurts my stomach.

And it makes me.completely.insane!!! (see below for reference)

They left on bad terms. Bad. Ugly.

Talk of lawsuits and such.

Bad stuff.

Why would they come back?

I shutter to think.

I have heard rumors that I can’t even give here. Well, I could but then I would have to kill you. And I don’t want to have to do that…for many reasons…but mostly who would read my blog if I had killed you all?

Plus murder is wrong, so there’s that…

Can you tell that I don’t want to talk about this?

I do need to express this, though…underlying all of the ugly I feel toward them, I KNOW in my heart that this is an opportunity to show grace and mercy. And model it for my children too.

Man.

______________________

So, there it is. I can’t NOT (yes, I used a double-negative) fix it, so I did. Just a smidge…not much really at all. 

Don’t judge.

And I do need to explain the “see below for reference”. It’s a quote from a movie called “French Kiss” from 1995, starring Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. 

You may or may not know it. I wouldn’t call it “good” but I do enjoy a good romantic comedy that’s not overly romantic and more on the comedy side. So here is the scene:

Kate: Hi there. C'est moi.

Concierge: [coolly] Welcome back, Madame, to the Georges V.

Kate: Huh... it's incredible how you do that. The words come out - "Welcome back" - but the meaning is completely different. What's the deal, is that a French thing or a concierge thing?

Concierge: As Madame wishes.

Kate: You did it again. Tell me something, because I just... I don't get it. Do you enjoy being that rude? Because when you do that, it just gets underneath my skin, and it makes me... completely... INSANE!

Here’s the IMBD page about it, because I’m certain you want to read more.

On that note: Have a fabulous day!

One of my favorite pictures from the U9 fall season...my 11yo with his buddy