As this is NBA basketball playoff season, I feel compelled to write something. Another reason to play the game is that not many people thought the Oklahoma City Thunder would defeat the Golden State Warriors in their home arena in the first game of the the Western Conference Finals. If you watched the Queen Latifah produced movie "The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story," you would not be surprised at this win. Setting goals early in life and then achieving them and then setting more goals can be a successful strategy and another reason to play the game. The steps along Kevin Durant's path were not always easy, fun, or without emotional loss. All athletes can relate to overcoming adverse circumstances - whether physical, mental, or spiritual - to excel in their given field. Since basketball is my sport, I am obliged to acknowledge perseverance, close contact with a loved one, and timing as persistent uplifting attributes.
As I continue to play the roles of librarian, writer, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, etc., I am sensitive to the support that each of these positions requires. As I approach another decade in life, re-evaluation is a constant necessity. Thanks to the hearing aid receptionist and technician that helped my mother with her issues and provided me with coping skills that require patience dealing with a loved one who started closer to the top and is now here.
The song "Come back to the Middle" by India.Arie beautifully describes how the development of confidence or the lack thereof can cause a person to veer from the middle to either a bad extreme or a good extreme. As I root for my favored team in these playoffs, I suggest that a good extreme acknowledges a spiritual component, as well. We did not come here to stay, as evidenced by the deaths of Maya Angelou, Beatrice Curry (my Aunt Bea) and Ruby Dee - all of whom died within three weeks of each other in May-June 2014 - and I am confident that they are not at the bottom anymore, but rest in the good extreme.
