A Championship A Guitar and A Spun Story

I have treated myself kindly the last couple of weeks, I’ve started to come out of the effects of a virus that nabbed me. The cough is the beast that lingers. So, I’ve re-camped myself on my comfortable couch. I sit up rather than to lay down so I’m able sleep....for now. 

Last night I was dead to the world (including earplugs to extra-deaden the world) Helicopters woke me up. Not only did I hear them but I could feel them. 

I hear Medivac helicopters once in awhile when they come and go from the University Hospital here. These weren’t the same, there were several of them and it sounded like they were circling the area.

Almost immediately I heard explosions! My mind started to race (my body is still half asleep so fortunately I didn’t jump up right away)

The story in my head spun a fear-come-to-life. “This is what it feels like to be in Ukraine! (that’s what I was spinning) I need to take what I can and it probably won’t be my guitar.” Yes, I actually had that thought. 

Now this story didn’t spin for long because I went up to my window to look out (the explosions weren’t right in my neighborhood) I saw fireworks exploding from the vicinity of University of Michigan campus.

It was one o’clock in the morning and I knew the national basketball game wasn’t in Ann Arbor, (by this time I was looking up things on my phone (not being a regular follower of sports). The game was in Indianapolis. I found this bit out and that this was the game that decided the national championship in men’s basketball.

I do have prior knowledge of the St. Ignace Saints reaching some level of champs when I was in high school. The town gathered on Main Street to greet the champs when they arrived on the school buses late at night and celebrated and cheered them to the High School.

Bells ringing, horns honking and at that time the majority of the town were devoted fans for the local team. (I think they were Class C back then). And I would wager when the girls’ basketball team won five state championships in basketball there was some celebrating locally going on.

No bombs, no evacuation, no war. I may have a vivid imagination, but I think my mind had some reality given our current national crisis and “Who knows what the future could bring”. 

I look out my window now and it’s a peaceful, sunny, quiet morning. I’m grateful. My imagination mixed with my fears, mixed with my compassion for other folks who can’t say they have a place of safety--spun out of whack.

Because I can imagine chaos and danger makes me grateful for now—I’m safe. My loved ones are safe. I can continue have my guitar with me and my couch to lay on to get through the after-affects of a virus. It helped me put life into perspective to see explosions of fireworks and hear helicopters intended for a celebration of a championship rather than signals of danger.

I was able to go back to sleep, peaceful sleep.