Homeslice

Man it feel good to be home.  After all the running around during my last days in France, I forgot exactly what i was working for; to come home, or I guess more specifically to come home with a feeling of satisfaction.  Even though this season didn't give me the feeling that I had accomplished what I wanted and helped my team the best I could,  as soon as I noticed Canadian soil out the emergency exit window, I had an overwhelming feeling of calm and ease, something I hadn't felt in months.  Of course over the months playing overseas one has moments of tranquility, but this was different.  My eyes seems to drop slighty, possibly because they knew they didn't have to be constantly bug eyed and struggle to take in all pieces of information so my brain could process it (road signs, different languages, hot french babies, etc.),  and my shoulders fell back and relaxed from the constant tense state they had been fixed in since mid november without me knowing it.  Its like I had been holding in a large breath for months and when I saw my homeland,  my body let it out, and of course this was all accompanied by a sly smirk because, well, I was happy.

When I was a kid my mother took me and my brother to visit an old friend and college roommate of hers who had since written several books on philosophy and become a nun.  She had taken a position at a refuge camp in southern ontario harboring families who had fled their home countries for various reasons (the majority being fear of death).  The place was set up like a summer camp, and if no one had told me why all these different looking/sounding people where there, I'd never have known some had death sentences waiting for them in their homelands.  This haven was a happier place than disney land.... almost. (maybe it was just as happy, but i'm not sure, I didn't have the necessary means to measure the love.  One thing I know is if you took all these people and stuck them in disney land, possibly in the tea cups, the abundance of joy being experienced would cause a singularity in the universe and the world would implode.)  And this brings me to my point: Although these people had seen things I certainly don't want to experience or try describe to you now, most carried a pleasant disposition on life and their home countries.  Even though they knew their counties political agendas and policies were a big part of why they were now wonderers, they still held fond memories of their homelands.  So much so that even though death was a certainty upon their return, some were going back.  

This is one of the first things that came to mind when I saw Canada appear as we dropped below the last layer of clouds.  Obviously there were more reasons for these people to return, but I know that for most of then, as it was for me, and I would wager most people around the world, the ease and familiarity of home just feels good.

Dans la fermeture

well we're done.  its all over.  the dream is dead.  The fat lady has sung.  the groundhogs are bringing us mail.  the camels back has been broken.  The metaphorical underwear has been soiled.  etc.

If you missed Sundays copy of Midi Libre du Montpellier, you would have missed an article explaining how MUVC got beat by TLM 3-0 on saturday night, to end MUVC's playoff run.  boo.  I'm pretty upset about the whole thing,  not so much that we lost, but that I went out like a chump.  I played like a garbage can full of poop and didn't help my team, which had a direct effect on why we lost.  It sucks playing the last game of the season like a fairy.  Granted I did mount a counter-attack during the 3rd set, but it was too late, I had already proved to be the weakest link on the court and brought the team down.  BUT HEY, thats sport I guess.  move on,  live,  enjoy.

And move on I will.  in fact I start with the Canadian team on Thursday.  so thats all of 4 days off, and my knees are screaming for them.  Its not really 4 days off really, cuz I gotta keep working out so I don't show up to practise looking like a fine french e'clair ( full of chocolate).   

So the year was Quite the roller coaster ride.  lots of ups and downs, and I started to get grey hair.  (For real; I found a single snow white hair on the back of my melon.)  Contrary to the disposition of my MUVC teammates, I don't feel like I've finished anything.  My season doesn't end till October 11.  Man that seems far away.  But I'm excited to get back to the office and smash some more balls.  Be good to each other yall.  I'll page you when I get back to the new world.