FROM SECURITY TO THE UNKNOWN

When most imagine a road like the one pictured, they think of looking down it, wondering what's around the bend. When examined from the other end, the known becomes what one leaves behind. And one can go back.

I first remember the Little League Field. Since I coached a minor league team for two years after I played, I had really not gotten too far from it. But then other interests took me away for a year or so. When I returned, I was stunned by how small the field was. Remember how big it all seemed, I thought. Home run distance is a pop fly. It's all about perspective. When you're there, you don't have it--you're too close.

It occurred to me again in high school. The huge campus at MTV frightens even the most cosmopolitan. The sheer number of sudents from all parts of the county overwhelms most. But even in its hayday of students, the number never reached 2,000. I remember knowing who someone was, but not thinking they knew me. For some reason I ran around with a few seniors when I was a freshman, but I didn't know one of my good friends now knew me back then. Big Daddy Shaw was a force on the football team--All-State Honorable Mention if I remember correctly. Man, that's impressive to a frosh. Again, it's perspective.

Even in junior college, my take on things was inaccurate. We used to have dances in the basement of B Building where two classrooms later were housed. Two classrooms! And I thought we were in a gym with all the space.

When we get older, we get tunnel vision, according to Stephen King. But somehow we had it all along. We just looked wide-eyed.

THE NATIONAL PASTIME? CERTAINLY THE STATE

Whatever the Territorial Cup is, Arizona State won it yesterday with a convincing 28-14 win over the University of Arizona. It secured a third consecutive bowl game for ASU, although it might not have been enough to save Coach Koetter's job. One of the best coaching jobs he's done this season, he found ways to exploit the Wildcat defense and get his players off the field after the game.

It's a heated rivalry. When I asked loyalist Sun Devil fan Bob Peach (He's only missed 3 home games in 36 years) if he was going to make the trek to Tucson, he replied," I'm too old to fight." It's that kind of rivalry.

Before Thursday's practice, ASU found a blue painted Wildcats' logo on the field. In the background of A Mountain was another painted logo "Bear Down"--the motto of U of A football team. As a undergrad in the late nineties, my daughter was one of several who camped out on the mountain to prevent the dastards (well, dastardly is a word) from U of A from painting the gold A on the mountain blue. She and the others succeeded back then.

Back to the coach getting his players off the field. One of the team's doctors was hit in the head with a bottle. Several players had sodas thrown on them. And these incidents were the ones reported in the paper. I haven't been on the message board to read of other incidents.

While I can appreciate the paintings--to me that's good natured--I don't think fans have any right to do anything to an opponent other than yell. Well, unless it's ASU fans.

DESTINATION: WHEREVER YOU ARE

On holiday, a working vacation, a get-a-way, a much needed time to_______.

A break from motonony. To knock the cobwebs out of your mind. To spend some quality time with______.

The opportunity is there. R and R. The trip of a lifetime. To get in touch with your inner self. Down time.

Whatever's clever. Whatever you call it, it's what gets most of us through a rough patch. Or just the mundane.

For me, it was always Spring Break. I hated Winter in the Midwest. I hated cold, ice, snow, wind, bare trees, brown grass, gray skies. But I knew that Spring Break was coming. And that meant a trip to Florida or Arizona. Sun, cooling breezes, green foliage, and blue, blue skies.

Thanksgiving afforded that break for many, including my two overworked offspring. (Well, I can't call them children anymore, and kids seems too young for a 30+ and 25+.) They are both in the middle of new jobs, demanding yet rewarding, and they needed the break. Thanksgiving is that sort of holiday. Even if you're not in a garden spot (one is this year/one isn't, though the weather is pretty good in the Midwest now), a lazy holiday followed by a hectic day of shopping--they call it Black Friday for more than one reason--followed by another lazy day is just what the psyche ordered.

At least I hope so. So enjoy the time off. There'll be another long haul before Christmas. And Spring Break is really not all that far away. It just seems like it.

WHAT A GREAT HOLIDAY--ONE ABOUT FOOD AND THANKS

Besides being thankful for the pardoned turkey and the President, there are , as usual, many things I am thankful for this year. Rather than give a litaney of reasons, I'll share with you two that I heard Sunday at Logan St. Baptist Church in MTV last Sunday.

One from a personal testimony of Beth Lamont, a recovering cancer patient. A member of her Sunday School class was preparing a meal to take to her while she was undergoing treatment. She was talking about it to her mother. Her 7-year old overheard and decided he, too, wanted to help, although he didn't know Beth. He went to his piggy bank and removed $5 in quarters--all that he had and sent it to Beth with the meal. There he was giving all that he had to someone he didn't know, but knew she needed help. It really touched Beth and blessed me to hear her story.

Another came from Pastor Mike Steed from a hospitlized Patsy Sanders. Her husband Dick was diagnosed with inoperable cancer in 1989. After treatment, he had broken bones and was severely ill before the cancer went into remission. During that time, he was introduced to a young man who asked him if he prayed. "All the time," Dick answered. The young man then asked what he asked for when he prayed. Dick responded, "I don't ask God for anything. I thank Him. I thank Him for allowing me to live this long and to see my children grown and married, some with children of their own." Dick lived 6 more years while his cancer was in remission. No doubt, he thanked God every single day.

His widow has the same type of cancer that he had. I'm sure she can use our prayers. And I'm just as certain that she's thanking God this Thanksgiving.

Have a great Thanksgiving. And don't forget to give thanks.

GALLUP THIS!

Finally somebody asked my opinion about something. No, I wasn't one of the three out of four doctors surveyed, but I was asked to track my tv watching for one-week. Also, a ton of other questions about where I shop, when I shop, if I vote, etc. Not only that, but I get paid, too.

Imagine what an old guy they think I am when on Sunday afternoon, I marked that I watched two episodes of Gunsmoke. Now, I don't like them quite as much as Nathan, my youngest grandson or Bill Woodfall, a friend, but I do like a good Western.

They asked if I watched the World Series--oooohhh yeah. And the NBA--only the Suns. The NFL--hardly ever since I get the football Cardinals games. Hockey--never.

Any soaps? Only one-- Y&R (am I old school or what?)

Favorite channels? No Ted Turner, that's for sure. Any MTV, Vh 1,CMT, or BET--naugh. But I do sometimes. While flipping. But not enough to count. Maybe I should have, because that John Legend video and song about all those different women is pretty good. And Idol star Carrie Underwood is getting better all the time. I don't know what happened to Taylor Hicks, but I don't much like Pickler, Clay, Reuben, or Fantasia.

Anyhow, it was worth the effort to be counted. And maybe my opinion counts for something. I hope so. Anyhow it was fun to be asked.

JUST WEIRD IN THE MIDWEST

How in the world can the St. Louis Rams play so poorly? How in the world can Linehan call such a lousy game? Why did he ignore Stephen Jackson and think with a makeshift o-line that he could pass and continually have Bulger take a 5-step drop to throw the ball? Watching part of that game, I got some kind of feel for how the Tiger fans felt in the World Series when their pitchers couldn't field a ball and throw to a base.

And then the hapless ones from Chi-town sign Soriano? Woah. For only $138 mil. On top of the $73 mil they threw at Ramirez. And they're probably not done spending. Oh well, it shouldn't matter. Don't forget--they are the Cubs.

Finally, the U of I sign the number 1 rated receiver in the nation? For football? The U of I and football don't go well together. Well, not since Grange and Butkus. What's that cat thinking? Maybe he saw how close Illinois played Ohio State and if Michigan can lose to the Bucks and still be number 2, then maybe Illinois oughta be in the top 10.

I don't know: it was weird. It got me feeling like that poor old horse at the end of a long day.

GOOD FOR THE EYES

I love carrots. Except for Carrot Top, the comedian. I used to like him somewhat when they had a tv short-lived show called Make Me Laugh. And he did for awhile. I think I stopped liking him when he made commercials. You see I don't like very many commercials at all.

But I like carrots. I don't care if they are the baby ones that are soft and kinda sweet or the huge ones that really crack when you snap them off with your bicuspids. Some even taste like nuts if you chew them long enough, but not all are like that. I even like cooked carrots. Oh, I didn't used to, but now I do.

Carrot salad with pineapple jello was a favorite that my mom made, and I still like that, too. Carrots shredded and on top of salads--ditto.

So what Popeye did for spinach, old Bugs did for carrots. And I bought it.