One of those days you'd like to forget

Will's turn... Blogs are supposed to be therapeutic, right? Well, I am going to take advantage of the shrinking world to just let it all out there.

Yesterday was one of those days where staying in bed, turning off the phones and the TV would probably have been a better idea. I woke up with the junk, you know, that stuff that takes over your head when you have a cold/sinus infection. One day it's a sore throat, the next day your nose is a faucet. Well, yesterday was the day where all of that was happening plus the body aches and lack of hearing out of my ears at random times. I eventually went to the doctor who ruled out worse ailments, but said that the viruses are getting stronger each year, so now the common cold takes on flu-like characteristics. Great! :-(

But, I toughed it out and went to work in the morning because I had some things due. And that's when the bomb got dropped on me. On Wednesday night, April 30, 2008, one of my dear friends passed away in his home in New Jersey. Mike Asher (Butler class of '71) was my favorite Butler alumnus. When I was working at Butler, it always felt like I was being paid to be friends with so many alumni around the country, but with Mike it was always different. His love for Butler basketball was unmatched by any person I know, so you know how easy it was for us to be close! I racked up big cell phone calls every season breaking down every aspect of the games with him, many times being his eyes for games he couldn't experience from a distance. If I saw a Butler basketball rumor circulating on the web, I could count down the seconds until my phone would ring.

Away from Butler hoops his love for life in general was amazing. He spent most of his career working multiple successful jobs, but most of it was as a special-ed teacher, one of the most caring jobs there is. He and his wife, Gail, were the best possible combination of people. Always smiling with big, thick New Jersey accents combined with a Midwestern sense of family and compassion. Mandy and I could only take advantage of the few times our travel to NYC (or theirs to Indy) allowed us to get together, but each time felt like a joyous reunion. Mike was to receive a Butler award this Saturday for his service as a volunteer. Mandy and I will be there to honor his life along with the countless other people he touched.

Mike was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago and just this week got promising news that it had not spread and treatment options were available. Privately, I have come to learn that he was growing weaker by the day, but when we talked last (about a week ago) his voice was still strong with confidence, optimism, happiness and (as always) a great love for Butler and everything about it. I like to think that during portions of my day, I find a way to support my alma mater for what it has given me. Mike Asher didn't have to think about it. Butler was his passion, as were the people associated with it. For him, it was a 24-7-365 commitment. We can only hope to comprehend that type of passion at some point in our life. Mike, you will be missed; more than anybody can understand.

Needless to say, it was a hard day to keep focussed, and after writing everything above, I am almost ashamed to include the following, but I am sticking to my theme here. I love sports for many reasons, but I think the greatest thing about it is the escape it provides from everything else in the world. You can get caught up in supporting your team and use their success to carry you above anything that brings you down in your own life. In fact, I know that Mike and I shared that trait when it came to Butler hoops, living vicariously through the success and failures of the team.

So, when everything had me down yesterday, I took the afternoon off and turned my sadness over to my beloved Chicago Cubs, still playing decent baseball. Good pitchers duel and the Cubs had a solid 3-1 lead entering the top of the ninth. Enter my personal stress jumper: The Cubs trying to close a tight game. Sure enough, Kerry Wood plunks a guy, gets rocked for 3, and the Cubs lose a heartbreaker 4-3. Kick me in the stomach some more, will ya.

No worries, it's a 162-game season. At least I have my favorite college basketball teams enjoying great post-season mojo. Oh wait, another IU player quit the team last night, broke a pot in anger while talking to the coach and the police got called. Seriously, can it get any worse in Bloomington?

I understand that those two last pieces were trivial, but it added up to one emotional mess of a day. Don't worry, there is a happy ending. Mandy got home last night and we did our best vegetable impersonation on the couch until bedtime, but it provided me with a great escape. We joked about our cute dog sleeping (you'll have to see these pictures later), poked around on the internet for a while (I can't use this blog to post some of the funny things, but it was hilarious) and just talked about a whole lot of nothing. And right before I fell asleep last night, I realized just how lucky I am to have what I have. To be able to take a half day from work and seek a doctor's advice. To have known an incredible man like Mike Asher and call him my friend. To experience the ups and downs of my favorite sports teams. To come home every night to a loving (sometimes drooling) family. So instead of forgetting yesterday, I simply welcomed FRIDAY!