A day well spent

If I ever needed to present myself with an example of why I have such a blessed life, all I have to do is review the way I spent last Saturday.

Life can be challenging for all of us, but every now and then we all need to take a step back and have some private time. I did that a week ago, and my Saturday was spent immersed in the world of college football.

I enjoy the sport immensely, and I do not entirely understand why. That is okay because we do not have to understand why we feel so passionately about certain things. If we feel that way, there is nothing wrong with that.

I started last Saturday watching ESPN’s Gameday program. The program was a little unusual because they broadcasted the show from Knoxville on the University of Tennessee’s campus. Within the campus, the show originated from Circle Park which was nostalgic for me because that is where I attended a number of classes when I went to school there. It looked like a lot of fun, and I regretted not making the trip up there.

On the bright side, I did get to watch a lot of games. Since I am a Southeastern Conference guy, I focused most of my attention on those games. I began my day by watching two games:  Vanderbilt vs. Presbyterian and Auburn vs. Louisiana-Monroe.

I often hear many University of Tennessee fans in this area talk about how they root for Vanderbilt 11 games a year, then cheer for the Volunteers when those teams play. I am not one of those people. I consider Vanderbilt one of Tennessee’s main rivals, and I never want to see them win. Ever.

A good Saturday for me is when Tennessee wins and Vanderbilt loses. As for last Saturday, the Commodores were playing a lightweight opponent and won easily. We’ll see how they do the rest of the year, but on November 17 I look forward to when the Volunteers come to Nashville.

After tuning out the Vandy game, I caught the tail end of the Auburn game. Sometimes the best games to watch are the ones where a person does not have an emotional investment, and the Auburn game fit into that category. The Tigers had Louisiana-Monroe beat but lost the lead late in the game, which sent the game into overtime. Auburn lived dangerously but they won.

After that game, I took a small break while preparing myself for the big game on my football watching agenda. Tennessee vs. Florida was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. so I ran whatever errands I had to do to get ready for that.

Of course, this game is where my afternoon of extravagance took a turn for the worse. Despite playing well for two-and-a-half quarters, the Volunteers faded late in the game and got pummeled. What was that I wrote about a good Saturday being when Tennessee wins and Vanderbilt loses? Well, I guess that did not happen. However, as I watched the final games of the evening, I must admit it was a good day.

I mean, we live in a world where Alabama is ranked number one, and that is not a reality I enjoy, but there are less pleasurable ways to spend a Saturday. Simple pleasures are often the best pleasures in life, and college football is one of those things that fills that role for me.

We all need recreation, because if we do not have it, then we become more likely to start climbing the walls. And I do not know about you, but I have climbed enough walls in my life.