Lifeline

I've been in hiding as of late. I'll save you the Wanted poster jokes, because a bit of a somber mood hangs over things in the world of the Brown Bear, as I am sure it may for a good many people. The title of this post is stolen from a song by one of my favorite artists, Citizen Cope (find it here). The chorus goes as such;

If you come looking for hard times,
Hard Times ain't hard to find.

I couldn't help relating this to things going on in the world right now. I typically write about sports because its what I am passionate about, I feel pretty comfortable talking about it, and every now and then I think (hope) I might have something worth sharing. With the recent news emanating from State College regarding Joe Paterno's former assistant, who, out of disdain I am refusing to name, NBA Lockout, arrival of Fall/Winter, re-election and #occupywhatever protests, I felt the need to send out a little something. Part of what makes life so stunning, is that there are moments that seem dark, insurmountable, almost crushing at times; and there are moments of joy, euphoria, and emotion so poignant and fulfilling that we just sit in awe. The one thing I came away from this time of gloom with was a quote from a young mother who sat on the steps of the administration building at Pennsylvania State University. It read, "All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." At this point in the process, I feel like this is something that all of us can actively embrace and participate in. Loose enough that you can't blame me for whatever you do, and liberating enough that we all can sit and think about what it is we can do as individuals to push through the gloom and enjoy those moments of peace or excitement that, humbly, I believe to be the reason we watch and participate in sports, and work our way to bettering our lives and the lives of those around us. Or, to simplify it commercially, Just Do It. That is, once to you figure out what It is.