(500) Days of...$%@#!!!

Today is Martin Luther King Day. A day that I think about every year. I am very sentimental, and I believe greatly in everything that the man stood for and everything he did for equality and civil rights, but also because when I was a student at Clemson, we NEVER had the day off! I remember walking to class one of the first days of school back in August 1995 and seeing "that flag" and thinking about how I was taught about the "stars and bars" back in New Jersey. I couldn't believe that people still flew those flags, especially kids my own age, in their dorm rooms. I digress because I'm not here to spew my true feelings on that thing, I'm here to talk about ...um...well, I'm not really sure what I'm here to talk about. Oh yeah, I remember now. I didn't have the day off today. Mind you, all of the schools in Florida are closed today, as well as the post office, the stock market, etc., but not us. I'm not complaining at all. We were expected, and I did, to clean our "offices" and catch up on paperwork and update plans and really do busy work for the majority of the day. Needless to say, I thought I'd be done with all that by noon, pack up some boxes, clean the rest of my pig-sty and sit on the couch to watch a movie. (500) Days of Summer. We don't have to get into the fact that I am, yet again, watching a pseudo chick-flick! It's what I do. How I roll...oh wait, that phrase is so 2009! (or 2006 as I have recently read) Didn't happen yet, but it will. Probably at 4pm or so. I'm sure I'll have an update on it and how it relates to my life, like all sappy romantic love stories that really have nothing to do with my life, as I sit on my couch with swollen feet, eating bon-bons.

On a sad note, the Clemson family lost a great, great person yesterday. I'm sure my fellow Clemsonians have, by now, heard the news that Gaines Adams has passed away of an enlarged heart. Everything that I've read on the man vividly shows what a huge heart that he did have, aside from the apparent genetic defect. I ran across Gaines Adams at Clemson one time in the theater at Clemson in 2003 when I was working there as the Assistant Technical Director. Many athletes took theater 210, or theater appreciation, for those that did not attend Clemson. He did not take that class while I was there, he was a sophomore (redshirt freshman in football) at that point and I'm sure he was taking higher level PRTM classes (that's Parks, Recreation, Tourism Management, or Party Right Through Man as was known by Clemson-ites as well), as his major, I believe was Sports Management. Many football players did, though, take "210" and therefore were required to put in hours to satisfy part of the syllabus. A number of athletes were therefore under my supervision. I loved this, because of my love for Clemson and its athletic programs. I was especially fond of the baseball players, because they were the most personable and likable for that matter. But one day, I believe it was in the spring semester, after football season was over a gentle 6'5" 255 pound man came into the shop and asked if we could use an extra set of hands on building of a set. I told him to fill out a time sheet and he started doing that, and then I said, "what class are you taking?" He looked at me with a quizzical look on his face and said, "I'm just here to lend a hand, I'm not doing this for credit." I was in shock. No one came in to just lend a hand. No one came in to not get credit or hours or whatever. It finally hit me at about an hour into the job that this was Gaines Adams, the STUD Defensive End for the football team that I just got finished watching. He was an absolutely beast on the field and here he was turning some screws for me in the Bellamy Theater, because he wanted to help. Unfortunately, maybe it was me, but that was the first and last time that he was in the theater that semester, to my knowledge. He was an amazing person, and really left a lasting impression on me. After the hours were up, I had to basically tell him to go home, because I was leaving and going to be turning the lights out. He got up, handed me the drill, extended his hand and thanked me for letting him help out. I looked at him, knowing who he was, and he, knowing I knew who he was and said, "no, thank you for being here and for being you." Now, people that know me, know I usually throw the "thank you for being you..." line out a lot. This time was different. He didn't have to be at the theater that day. I'm sure he could've been in the weight room, or studying film, or reading some textbooks, or writing a paper as I know people in that major had to do a lot of, but no, he was making risers and drilling screws into platform legs. What seems so insignificant at the time comes rushing back on a day like yesterday when my cell phone was blazing with, what seemed like, endless text messages from folks trying to be the first to tell me. Trust me, I knew almost immediately. I was just stunned and saddened. A feeling that has crept into my head numerous times already today. The Clemson Family really lost a good one. A couple of young kids lost a father. A couple of great parents lost a son. I'm not a very spiritual person, but I know that God is getting a good one up there in Heaven! And as I read earlier on a Clemson fan website, "The quarterbacks in heaven better watch their blind sides now." I hear it's an absolutely gorgeous day in Clemson, South Carolina today! Knowing #93 is looking down today and smiling! Thank you Gaines! Rest In Peace!

Wow! Just sat down and started writing. I guess I needed a release from the emotions of it. This one hit me hard. Not sure why. Hardly knew the man. Would say I didn't know the man at all, actually. I guess that's what happens when a 26 year old man leaves such an impression on a 32 year old man...

Back to the humor in a few days. Have Gasparilla coming up. CaliforniaGirl will be here, along with PollyJo, Beef and -ette! as well. Citizen will be making an appearance, and it has all the makings of a good time!