We are in the middle of March Madness, that special time of year when basketballs are again bounced seemingly nonstop. I enjoy watching the game of basketball but don’t ask me to play. I can handle a game of HORSE, but that’s as far as my skill level allows.
It’s fascinating how a young adult can maneuver up and down a court, running full speed and dribbling a ball at the same time. The body control some of these fine athletes exhibit is sheer magic, their talent amazing.
Just lately the girls high school state tournaments were held at the Resch Center in Green Bay. One day about a week before, my husband casually mentioned we should go and get a milker so we wouldn’t have to return home for night milking. I hardly let the words escape from his mouth before I called our milker. Music to my ears when I heard, “Sure, I don’t have anything going on that night, I’ll put it on my calendar.”
When husband heard that, he said, “Hey, get somebody to feed, too, so we can leave in the morning.”
Quicker than lightning, before he could change his mind, my thumbs worked my cell’s keyboard, zipping out a text to our feed man, “cod u feed cows4us this comin fri nite? 3-330 or whnevr u get off work? We got a milker, goin to watch girls at state tourny. Wat u think?”
Instantaneously his return text: “Sure can.”
Do you know what can make me smile? That can make me smile.
Friday came, and after getting done with morning milking and mid-morning chores, we were on the road by 11 a.m. with the afternoon sweetly rolled out in front of us. It is so liberating not to have to constantly check our watch when we go out and about. Afternoon chore time creeps up quickly when we leave for day trips anywhere farther than a half hour away.
Grabbing a quick lunch on the way, we got to Green Bay and did a little shopping before heading to the Resch Center. It is such a lovely facility, easily accessible and, that day, teeming with different schools and their fans, the kids all dressed up in cheer gear, some delightfully gaudy. It made me smile; such excitement!
We settled into great seats, mid-court, halfway up and proceeded to enjoy some competitive basketball with extraordinary entertainment all around. The pep bands were fantastic, pom-pom squads put on energetic dance routines at halftime, and the music the Resch Center pipes in during television time outs is much like being at a Packers game at Lambeau. So fun; I took everything in. The level of play at state is phenomenal. These girls left their hearts out on the court. Too bad somebody’s got to lose!
I’ve learned much watching our kids play ball these many years. Moving screens still baffle me, but the violations such as an offensive charge, hand or body foul, travel, carry, double-dribble, three-seconds, those types of things I can spot. I think my husband appreciates the fact that I don’t ask a lot of questions, we just take in the games together and understand that good high school or college-level basketball is a whole lot of fun to watch.
I like to listen to my family debate defenses and discuss offensive plays. In the car the other day, we were all on our way to get daughter and husband’s spring turkey licenses. The two of them were talking about the NCAA tournament under way right now. (As of this writing Wisconsin has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen — Go Badgers!) They were discussing bracketology.
“Always like the upset,” my husband commented.
“Me, too! Duke getting eliminated threw everybody off and wasn’t Kansas supposed to take Stanford?” daughter inquired.
“Kansas was a number two seed and Stanford was number 10, so yah, that was definitely an upset.”
We had watched the last half of the Stanford/Kansas match-up and during the final three minutes, which lasted about half an hour, the cameras were periodically zooming in on a close-up of a little boy, about 10 years old, his face streaming with tears when Kansas was down by seven points with 32 seconds left.
Minutes later after numerous time-outs and mind-boggling plays, Kansas had narrowed the score, bringing it to a two-point difference with 14 seconds on the clock. They again zeroed in on the little fella, but now he was standing, cheering, his face bright with hope. The announcers chuckled and said, “Ah, the face of March Madness!” At the final buzzer he was crying again! The Kansas Jayhawks had fallen.
We’ve been following the Wisconsin Badgers all season, as we always do, and at the end of the day, I hope the face of March Madness is smiling at our house!
(“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.” Proverbs 15:30)
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