Would've, Could've, Should've

Uncle Hubert, a strong, colorful, strapping of a man always had words of advice (stay put when you are told to stay put, don't ever dare throw worms at your little cousin again) for his youngest nephew. He shared experiences too, from his years growing up with Mom on the farm to those as a merchant marine during WW11 to the building of an agricultural/ranching empire with his sons and grandsons in west central Missouri. One of my fondest memories of him was the last time we met when during in between tobacco stained spits into an empty #10 coffee can he said with a twinkle in his eye "thems that wouldn't I could, and thems that couldn't I would." I didn't know if he was referring to the steps he put in place while stationed on O`ahu building the Haiku staircase (stairway to heaven) or cows or ahem - something else. But no matter, the saying itself could also be taken as advice to live a full life.

I have a fifty year plus deep emotional attachment to the Kansas City Chiefs. The sight of Red and White always gives me chicken skin. In the late 1960's brother Paul and I went to several games at downtown's Municipal stadium. We would pay $5 for standing room only tickets and lug in our folding chairs and flasks. Buck Buchanon, Willie Lanier, Lenny Dawson, Bobby Bell, Jan Stenerud, Emmitt Thomas, Curley Culp, Otis Taylor, Johnny Robinson, and others were the heroes we worshiped as they in Coach Hank Stram's words"marticulaed" down the field. We went along with 10,000 other fans in the middle of a freezing night to greet the team after they won the last AFL championship on the tarmac of Municipal airport. The next week they won the super bowl.With that lineup it was expected that there would be many more championships to come, but alas a half century later there have been none. A 5-17 playoff record during that span with hundreds of wouldve's could eve's shouldve's.

Yesterdays defeat to the Patriots though, to get that close to the prize and come up short due to a foot over the line negating the interception which would have sealed the deal is one that really hurts. But all in all it was a fantastically great season capped by a really fun day watching the game with friends Shannon and Scott and daughter Deborah and son in law Ray at Buffalo wild wings. People were yelling and screaming (us too) just like they show on their ads. Letting loose has merit!. The blow of losing was also lessened by having the chance to once again hash over some of the stuff that was done during work days at Ho`opono. Other than the Chief's playoff history since 1970 am thankful that there are not too many other personal should've's  Thanks, Uncle.

Haiku staircase