Welcome to my dream!

Hmmm....should I start my blogging with sappy melodrama or with sarcastic, self-deprecating humor?  Tough call!  If I choose the humor route, do I first comment on the fact that the "cool kids" quit blogging several years ago or do I go with the other obvious choice--commenting how indeed I do NOT have concrete in my shoes in the video I'm about to add (nor a pillow in my shirt).

Whether you are a naysayer, a believer, a doubter (but also a "hoper"), welcome to my cozy little corner of the internet! 

So what is my dream, you ask? (Don't worry, I'll tell you even if you didn't ask--just ask all my annoyed co-workers.)  I'm going to dunk a basketball in 2012. 

Let me give you a present day "lay of the land".  I’m 36.  I weigh 195 lbs.  I’m as white as a loaf of Bunny Bread.  I work at a desk job in the financial services industry.  Other than shooting around with my nephews every chance I get, I haven't played an organized game of basketball in probably 3 or 4 years.  In fact, I haven't played consistently since 1990 (yes, that's 21 years--my freshman year of high school). 

Why do I want to dunk a basketball?  Well, first of all because I grew up completely obsessed with the Bulls and Michael Jordan.  Who DIDN'T dream of being able to dunk a basketball when you watched that guy?  Why now?  Do I really think I can do it?  After all, am I that out of touch with reality?  I think people would generally say I'm a "reasonable" guy.  However, have I lost my marbles?  Is this a midlife crisis of epic proportions doomed to inevitably end up in a fiery ball of unprecedented failure?   Or is there a possibility (even if just a remote one) that if I don't "play it safe" for once and I actually go full bore toward achieving a lifelong dream, that I'll be able to accomplish it. 

I hope that even if this project ends up in failure, that it encourages you to dust off your old dream, let go of your fears of failure, and go for it! However, before this morphs into a giant Successories poster or some sort of inspirational Whitney Houston "I Believe the Children are the Future" montage, let's get back to the reality check element here.

My wife thinks I'm crazy.  My co-workers and boss think I'm a fool.  Some people probably don't really care but just wish I would quite talking about it already (my wife may also at least partially be in this camp--who can blame her?)  A couple people believe in me--or at least WANT to believe that I can do it.  I get encouragement from all across the spectrum so let me know what you think.  You won't hurt my feelings if you tell me I don't stand a chance.  I promise.

The long neglected dream got dusted off  and pulled from the deep, deep recesses of my past when I was on a church mission trip to Sedalia, MO a few months back.  I overheard our friend Holly H. say that her husband, Charlie, had a couple physical goals on his “bucket list”: to run a marathon and to dunk a basketball.  I overheard this and got very excited.  Here came the dream--back with a vengeance!  Sure, I'm 21 years older and probably 40 pounds heavier than the last time I touched the rim on a 10' (regulation) hoop.  Don't get me wrong.  Many AMAZING things have happened between then and now and I'm thankful for all of it (marriage, family, career, and getting plugged into a deeper relationship with God)—I’ve become a “big boy”.  Time to be responsible. 

However, when I heard Holly share about Charlie’s goals, it took me right back to my youth.  Playing nerf basketball on my bedroom when I was 9 years old.  Slamming it on the hoop hanging over the door on my bedroom and hanging on as if I was going to destroy that poor, little Nerf hoof.  My goal at one point (after it was completely bent down so as to be perpendicular to the door) was to “dunk” it so intensely that I would snap the rim right off the door.  The memories kept cascading.  Standing on the bleachers in St. Mark's gym when I was 11 waiting for Mrs. Gremmels (the teacher) to look the other way before I hopped off the bleachers to slam home a ball on the sideline basket.  And more memories.  Leaving fingerprints on the doorframes all over my parents’ house as I dreamed in the 4^th grade that touching those 7 foot frames meant that dunking on a regulation hoop was imminent.  Pulling up a chair to the hoop in our backyard to dunk it.  Bent the rim enough (and the pole, I think) from these endeavors that I was able to dunk at least a mini basketball. 

My basketball career flamed out freshman year of high school.  Didn't care much for that whole "playing defense" thing.  I preferred to jack three pointers and dream of being able to dunk.   During freshman year of high school (the aforementioned pinnacle of my playing career), I was able to hit the rim on a regular 10’ hoop.  In fact, the highest point of my dunking days (hopefully to be eclipsed in a few months) was one time during lunch I was able to dunk a tennis ball.  The bug never left me.  Other than vivid dreams of airplanes crash over the horizon (still need to unpack that one), dunking related dreams still visit me on a regular basis.  Sometimes I can float and just will myself higher and higher.  Sometimes I can dunk the ball and dominate a game.  The dreams always take place in St. Mark's gym.  Again, I probably need to unpack that one, too, with some professional help! 

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how often I take the safe, conservative road.  How often do I really challenge myself?  It's more comfortable to take the easy path?  Sure, I’ve studied hard to get through college and taken examinations that require a fair amount of self-discipline.  However, still feels like I sometimes sell myself short.  It could be a lack of self-confidence or just laziness—or maybe just me being too hard on myself.  However, I’m ready to change! 

As I mentioned above, my buddy Charlie H. has agreed to indulge me.  Here's to hoping we can enourage each other to our mutual goal of being able to dunk a basketball by the end of 2012.  Along the way, we hope to also inspire family, friends, and strangers.  I wouldn't normally consider myself to be a big dreamer.  However, we would each love to share a lesson with our kids of setting goals, working hard even in light of obvious obstacles and if failure is the result, that's fine.  If success, even better!  Either way, there are lots of lessons to be learned.

 

I really think we both can do it, though, and I can't wait to give it a try.  I'm running a half marathon next weekend and then on to begin training for the 2012 goal.  If you've made it this far into the post, congratulations!  Seriously, this feels incredibly self-indulgent right now.  Hopefully I'll get past those feelings.

Video footage to be added showing the "before" clips from the other night at the gym.  BEWARE: do not let small children and those with known medical conditions to witness this video.  It's not for the faint of heart.