Nostalgia, and a Happy New Year

Perhaps it is nostalgia. After all, it is the end of another year. And we did just celebrate Christmas.

Or maybe it is because my youngest is now as tall as me. Of course, it could be because I am two weeks away from turning the big Five-Oh, which is about to hit me like a surfer’s Hawaiian wave with the voice of Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) in the background saying “Book ‘im, Danno” while the Morton Stevens “Hawaii Five-O” theme song plays.

I guess most people get a little nostalgic around Christmas. Memories seem to flood the soul during the yuletide season. We see children playing with their new toys that Santa left, and remember our own childhood skates and drums and bikes. In a way we find ourselves wishing we could go back and be that child again, if only for a Christmas moment. Perhaps to see the old house we used to run around in, and hear the creaking sounds of the hallway floorboards one more time. Or to see that smile and hear that laugh of a loved one who has now gone on to their reward in heaven and will meet us there one day with arms open wide. Or experience the smells and tastes and noise of family reunions past.

Nostalgia.

Nostalgia is two Greek words put together. “Nostos” means returning home. “Algos” means pain. So nostalgia is the pain one feels because he or she wishes to return home, and fears (or knows) that can never happen again. We get the word “homesick” from “Nostos-Algos”.

As I have been pondering the year now almost over, and planning the year to come, a little nostalgia blended with a little daydreaming has moved me to create an “I want to” list. Now I want to be clear, this is NOT a Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman Bucket List. It is just a list of things I want to do during my remaining days on earth. Some of them I have already done, but want to do again. Others I haven’t. I didn’t include things I have done but don’t really mind if I never do again. You can borrow my list or make up your own. After all, mine will be saturated with my own nostalgic yet daydream persuasion.

Here is mine, with comments to the side. “I want to…”

1. Write and publish a book (Began in May, 150 pages into it today)
2. Visit Mesa Verda again (Did it summer 2007, and would go again today)
3. Sleep under the stars again (Used to do it in Boy Scouts, want to again)
4. Sing in a band (Never done it)
5. Do another multi-day hiking trip on the A.T. (Did it in Scouts and want to again)
6. Write a blog (Uh, doing it!)
7. Swim in the Great Salt Lake (Never done it)
8. Walk the streets of Jerusalem (Never done it)
9. Visit the Vatican (Never done it)
10. Tour the Everglades (If I have done it, don’t remember it)
11. Visit Auschwitz (Been to Dachau twice, but not Auschwitz)
12. Play in the mud like a child (Been a LOOONG time since I did that)
13. Visit the Sistine Chapel (Never done it)
14. See Old Faithful geyser (Saw it about 35 years ago, want to again)
15. Teach myself a new language (I am working on Japanese)
16. Ride in a gondola in Venice (Never done it)
17. Go skinny dipping in a lake (Been a LOOONG time on this one, too. And before you are too judgmental here, you don’t know who, if anyone, I am inviting to go with me! And yes, I know what I look like “nekkid at my age”!)
18. Sing Karaoke (Done that in multiple countries and on a cruise ship)
19. Build an igloo (Never done it)
20. Take a trip to Istanbul on the Orient Express (Never Done It)
21. See the Great Pyramids of Egypt (Never Done It)
22. Own a Harley-Davidson (Never Done It)
23. Learn to Ballroom Dance (Come on, Julie…let’s do it!)
24. Walk my daughters down the aisle (Not yet…but one day!)
25. Sit on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and toss pebbles into the water, just meditating and thinking (Never done it)

And with that, unless something earth shattering takes place that I feel an irresistible urge to write about, my blog for 2008 is complete. I don’t plan to write again until 2009. So Happy New Year to you all.

WJLaneSR

p.s. (thanks to cozy reader's blog for the idea)

Malzahn

Auburn hired another author today. Or should I say, Auburn hired an “Arthur” today. That’s right, Arthur Gustav Malzahn III, better known as Gus Malzahn, was hired as the new offensive coordinator for Auburn University.

Gus Malzahn was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas on October 28, 1965. He graduated from Fort Smith Christian High School in 1984, and was a walk-on receiver for the Ken Hatfield led Arkansas Razorbacks. After two years, he transferred to Henderson State University where he was a two year letterman in football, and where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education.

Gus Malzahn has been successful at every coaching stop in his career. In fact, he is a high school coaching legend in the state of Arkansas. From 1996 – 2000, he was the head coach of Shiloh Christian where he transformed their football team into one of the most dynamic offensive prep squads in the nation. From there, he moved to Springdale High School from 2001 – 2005 where he led his team to two state championship games and 1 title. His 2005 squad had All Americans Mitch Mustain and Damian Williams who both went to Arkansas.

In 2005, Malzahn was named the offensive coordinator for Arkansas, where his offense led the Razorbacks to an SEC West Division Championship. In 2007, his friend Todd Graham became the head coach of Tulsa, and Malzahn joined him as Offensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach.

In 2007, Malzahn emerged as one of the premier offensive coordinators in the country, as Tulsa ranked #1 in the nation in total offense (ahead of Texas Tech and Hawaii). Under his leadership, Tulsa became the first team in NCAA history to have a 5000 yard passer, a 1000 yard rusher, and three 1000 yard receivers in one season on one team. This past year, his Tulsa team ranked #2 in the nation in total offense with an average of 565 yards per game.

Coach Malzahn is also an author. This may remind you of Tony Franklin, but unlike Franklin, Malzahn’s version of the spread is more balanced, with the quarterback under center instead of in the shotgun. He wrote a book entitled “Hurry Up No Huddle—An Offensive Philosophy”. He is the author and inventor of the “Wildcat Formation” which is really a version of the old single wing.

Will his version of the spread work at Auburn? I don’t know…but I sure hope so.

From the desk of my bully pulpit, I say, “Good hire, Coach Chiz. Let’s get some players to go with it.”

War Eagle

WJLaneSR