TURNED OFF BY SPORTS RECENTLY

      If you know me real well you know that all my life I have loved sports! It all began for me as an 8 year old watching football with my Dad. He got me hooked on the New York Giants. We suffered through a lousy decade of the 1970's and rejoiced in the 1980's when they finally started winning. One of my fondest memories is watching Super Bowls 21 & 25 with my Dad as they won both games. My Dad had a huge smile on his face when Scott Norwood missed a last second field on January 28, 1991. I also began watching hockey as an 8 year old when the New York Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Finals only to lose to Bobby Orr. Moving to Long Island a year later I still rooted for the Rangers and took a lot of abuse while in High School as the dreaded New York Islanders won 4 Stanley Cups in a row. I had to wait until 1994 to see my Rangers win a Stanley Cup! I also have great memories watching the New York Knicks, my favorite basketball team win 2 championships, the last being in 1973. I have lost a lot of interest in basketball and have not watched an NBA game from beginning to end in 10 years! When it comes to baseball as a kid I liked both the New York Mets and New York Yankees. I did root for the Yankees in the late 1970's manly because they were winning but when their owner George Steinbrenner kept buying free agents and changing his team every year, I became a die hard New York Mets fan and went crazy when they won the World Series in 1986. Since then I have been a long suffering fan and one of my worst days in life was in October 2000 when they lost to the Yankees in the Subway series. 

     So why would this life long sports fan want to write a blog about being turned off by sports? The answer is simple. Money! When I was a kid, players played because they loved their game. They played for the same team and gave their all. They played hurt, they played in the mud and they wanted desperately to win a championship and tried their best to accomplish that feat  A third string player makes over a million dollars. Back in the day, a third string player made very little money. In today's day and age, athletes only really play for money and demand to be traded when things don't go their way and when they break a fingernail they are put on the disabled list. Right now Major League baseball owners have locked out their players and they are disputing over something that is very selfish. MONEY! 

     I also love listening to Sports Radio which I do when I'm in my car. I listen to Sports Radio WFAN. WFAN began in 1987 and I have been listening to that station since day one. One day I hope to get up enough nerve to call in to a talk show. In the last year, Sports Radio has been talking less about sports lately and is focusing more on entertaining people. Even the prices of attending a game are astronomical. You literally have to take out a loan to attend a game. The last sporting event I attended in 2019, a Mets game, it cost me $25 to park my car. $25!!!! The could have at least had people watch my car while I attended the game! 

     Hopefully one day things will change. Hopefully athletes will play because they love the game. Do I think it will change? NO!           

DECISIONS

      Decisions. We make them every single day. We decide when we need to wake up in the morning instead of hitting the snooze button. We decide what we are going to wear for the day (unless you are like me and you have to wear a uniform for work). We decide what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We decide what we plan on doing after work and we decide who our friends are. We have to make thousands of decisions in one day. In fact my good friend Mr. Google says we make an average of 35,000 decisions a day. I have a confession to make. I have to make some huge decisions this coming year. I was debating whether to write this blog. I sometimes hate being transparent especially recently. But I DECIDED to write this in the hope that you will join me in prayer as I make some big decisions. So, here it goes. Here's my story! This is not Dave complaining or asking for pity. This is reality.

     On December 14th I was at my job at Chick fil-a in the middle of my 6 a.m. to 2:30 shift.  Somehow while carrying a box I felt a sharp pain in my back. I have had back issues for years since 2005. I fell down a staircase and every once in a while my back bothers me. On this day the pain didn't stop. I tried to work through it but the pain got worse and I had major back spasms. I was told to go home and put heat on my back immediately.  The following day I went to City MD to see a doctor and was then sent to an Orthopedist. X-rays didn't show any damage and he recommended physical therapy. I went back to work that Saturday feeling good. I woke up Sunday morning feeling sick and had no voice. I took a day to rest and returned back to work Monday morning. I still had no voice and didn't feel great so as a precaution I was sent home again. Trying to get an appointment at City MD was like making an appointment to see the Pope! I finally got in after waiting on a long line at 6:30 a.m. and I tested positive for Covid-19. From December 22 - 29 I had to quarantine which meant, you guessed it...I spent Christmas alone. It was not fun and it was hard but I got through it! Being alone gave me the chance to do a lot of soul searching, a lot of praying and time to read my Bible as well as other books. Let's face it...daytime television is for the birds!!🦜

     I did get good rest I will admit that. I did a lot of thinking which for me is not so good especially when you have no other human being in front of you to talk to. Thank God for cell phones! I appreciate so much the prayers of my family and dear friends as well as those who reached out to me. I did have a dear friend make dinners for me which was a blessing I did return to work on December 30th after testing negative for Covid-19. I can't remember the last time I actually did look forward to going to work!! In the coming weeks up until this very moment I still have back issues.  I am seeing a physical therapist but truthfully I do have a big decisions to make. I am not sure my body can handle such a physical job anymore. I have been coming home in pain every night and immediately I sit on a heating pad and then I lay on my inversion table (thank you Jack for blessing me with that!) If you know me, you know my heart has and always will be for ministry. However since Covid-19 has struck our nation, churches are not hiring.  In fact, some are laying off pastors and also shutting their doors unfortunately.  My plan is to leave New York within the next 7 months or so but I am asking you all who faithfully read my blog to please pray. I really need direction as to what to do and what line of work I can handle. I need God to heal my back. Some nights I wake up after turning in my sleep in severe pain. All these prayer requests are huge. To be perfectly honest,  I have no reason to stay in NY and would absolutely love a fresh new start somewhere. I know God has a plan. He got me this far and I know He is not giving up on this guy, sore back and all.

     I am not "throwing in the towel" as they say and I'm not giving up. I know God loves me and I know He will show me what His plans are for me. In the meantime I am not sitting on my hands and doing nothing about this. Decisions are hard and I know I will make the right one. I am actively searching and looking for a new career or ministry opportunity. Turning almost 58 years of age in a week or so is not in my favor but God knows my heart. I might have to reduce my hours at Chick Fil-A to keep my health insurance. Being in pain is NOT fun. Please pray with me. I love and appreciate you all so much!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEKEND!!