Growing up, I often heard the phrase, “He’s been around the block a few times.”
It wasn’t meant as an insult. It meant a guy who has seen a few things, lived a little and learned the hard way. Turns out, that is what growth really looks like. Not a steady climb up some shiny ladder, but a looping, twisting walk around the block of life. Revisiting old corners with new shoes and a different stride.
You run into familiar faces, familiar mistakes and familiar dreams. Each time seeing them with a bit more wisdom and a lot less ego. Setbacks and reruns aren’t failures, they are checkpoints. Each lap around the block adds another layer of understanding, even if it feels like déjà vu. Throw in that reoccurring dream that drags you through the same high school hallways of memory and maybe that is life reminding you that the lesson ain’t over yet.
We are closing in on the end of October, and Saturday brings the long-awaited rematch... Ireland versus New Zealand back to Chicago. Hard to believe it has been nine years since the Irish stunned the All Blacks on the lakefront. One thing I have noticed between Soldier Field lined for football or painted for rugby. After a match, rugby fans hug it out and buy each other beers. After a game, gridiron fans often shout until somebody bleeds.
It is hump day you Chalkheads. Let’s slide into the weekend with a pint of grace, a bit of grit, and a warm welcome for the international crowd invading our town. Bring on Ireland’s Call and the Kiwis' Haka.
