Well the 2016 Summer games start in August and I’m underwhelmed to say the least. I want to be excited about them but I’m not. Growing up my brothers and I looked forward to the competition. It was exciting to see the American athletes compete against the arch nemeses, the Soviet Union. Every time our countryman took the stand to receive ovation it was an act of national and personal defiance of tyranny. Ok, so obviously that was the very romantic view of the period, but while we still have enemies a plenty, the thrill is gone. As an adult I can’t help but see the surrounding institutions like the Olympic committee as bloated and corrupt bureaucrats on the take or privileged spoiled young athletes looking for a spring break- like experience. (Ok so the latter is probably not completely fair).

To top it all off, I just don’t really like most of the sports, (and in some cases I use the term loosely). Of course I enjoy the swimming, track and field, basketball, maybe a few others but many of them I hold in complete distain! Why would anyone set aside time to watch semi- pro ping pong, especially when I can play it myself at my brother’s house… and drink some beer at the same time?! And here’s a point that will bother some… I really don’t like gymnastics. (I realize that some of my gentler readers are going into catatonic shock right now, because for some reason, that is a dangerous admission). Of course the adamant defenders of this form of competition are right now, desperate to shoot back at me the hollow refrain: “well you couldn’t do it!” Irrelevant. I lack any of the obligatory physical or intellectual skills to play Baseball on any competitive level but I watch that on a semi- daily basis. Which leads to my next point: How in eternity, can the blessed Olympic committee decide that Baseball is no longer a valid Olympic sport, but the guy or girl frolicking on a mat to classical music and flinging a ribbon is?! No. No I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m going to watch that. I’ll stick with late summer MLB.

I guess ultimately part of what bores me about the more recent Olympics is the international peer pressure to like it. As though it says something about my country and me as a “citizen of the world” if I admit that I prefer more domestic sports like baseball or American football. I don’t begrudge those who grew up with sports like Soccer, tennis or Olympic style competitions. I think everyone should enjoy what they enjoy. But I didn’t grow up watching those sports. They don’t hold the meaning for me that they do for others. I understand the passion and I respect it. But I can’t manufacture it for myself, and nor should I try. To do so makes a mockery of those who come by that passion honestly. So sorry ESPN. Sorry NBC, and Fox Sports 1 and all the other networks that are about to go WNBA on us about watching… (that means they’re plan to guilt us into it). The upshot is this: To each he or her own! Watch what you’re passionate about, not what others think you should watch.

Every other year or so, someone here at Tyler TX Directory publishes something about the Living Alternative, 4th of July celebration. And while its worth another mention, promoting that event is not my primary purpose for writing this article. The reason I’m talking about it again is that there’s a new vendor at the event this summer. Christian Heritage School of Tyler will be on the Father Heart grounds selling hot dogs, distributing literature and generally making an effort to raise the profile of the school.

Christian Heritage is an institution ripe for growth. With significant changes afoot and an ever growing market for private education in Tyler, the school is now making a greater effort to enroll new students. CHS – Tyler offers challenging and engaging academics, a growing athletics department, a meaningful faith formation, and a rich campus life, all for one of the lowest tuition rates in Town.

As of this fall, the school is fully Renweb enabled. The new on-line system will allow much greater communication and interaction between the home and the classroom. The Staff of Christian Heritage is dedicated to its vocation and each teacher trained and qualified in his or her field.

The CHS July 4th booth will be operated by both staff members and students, so for readers who plan on attending the Living Alternatives event, make a point to speak them and pick up the available enrollment forms. Also, please refer others interested in providing a private education to their students. For more information now, visit the school’s website at http://chstyler.org .

I had a former student a few years back, who expressed the desire to do me a favor by rendering a service at a fraction of what he would have charged other customers. It was a nice gesture but unfortunately, he was unable to complete the job for which he was hired because the money and time ran out and I was compelled to find others who could complete the work. Ultimately it was an excellent reminder for both of us that low prices cease being helpful when one side fails to deliver on its promise. Well I was reminded of that lesson when my wife and I purchased very… inexpensive tickets to Portland aboard Spirit Airlines. The expense ultimately came at a cost to our time and patience. Here is a brief run-down of our adventure:

We arrive at DFW airport at approximately 1:30 pm anticipating a 3:30 pm departure. I say anticipating because that was what the tickets we had purchased explicitly spelled out. We have a very easy check in through TSA and proceeded to terminal E gate 18. We have a nice lunch and return to our gate to await the boarding call that doesn’t come. Instead we hear an announcement that our gate has been changed to gate 32. Ok fine, we pack up our belongings and head to gate 32. At the same time, the Spirit flight to Philadelphia is sent to gate 18 from 32. After waiting at 32 a while we are sent again to gate 18. A few minutes later, the Philly flight is returned to gate 32. Finally, in one last annoying move we are again sent to 32 and the Philly flight to 18.

It is now around 3:30, and we are nowhere near boarding an airplane. About an hour or hour and a half later, the Philly flight boards. We go nowhere. A Chicago flight arrives. And begins boarding we go nowhere. Philly finally goes wheels up, but in a nonsensical twist, they do so in our bird! Turns out the reason for the constant gate changing is that there was a problem with the avionics equipment on the Philly flight so they gave them our plane! And rather than merely setting all the flights back a half hour or so, the Airline allowed all other flights to proceed as scheduled while we sit in travel purgatory being purified for the sins of others. Chicago boards and departs. Detroit boards and departs. Minneapolis boards and departs. Vegas boards and departs, but Portland sits with no plane.

The board keeps changing. Our flight randomly appears and disappears. We’re scheduled to depart by 5:00. But 5:00 comes and goes. Then 6:00, nothing. We begin to discover that they have absolutely no idea when or if our flight will actually take off. They are merely trying to hold off the growing mob around the Spirit desk. The terminal parking lot is empty where a plane is supposed to sit. The supervisor has been summoned all afternoon and after hours of hiding finally emerges to do absolutely nothing.

Finally, around 7:00 pm there are rumors that the Philly plane has been repaired. I don’t believe it. We go for dinner, which by the way we were supposed to have in Portland. We return to find the rumors are true and we begin boarding. I finish my meal in a tiny seat but at least I’m aboard.

Now there is a small but significant subplot to this story. That morning I awoke with a tickle in my throat which has turned into a sore throat. I’m not terribly sick, not carrying the flu, not burning with fever, I’m simply in the very early stages of a minor summer cold. Now readers who have flown Spirit Airlines can attest to the fact that nothing is complimentary on board a Spirt flight, including water. And midway through the flight that left more than four hours late, I need some water.

My wife is first to approach the flight attendant to ask for some water. She’s told it would cost three dollars and she can’t give me any. I decide to try walking to the front of the plane and try to convince another audience to grant my simple request. When I try to explain that I’m sick the head attendant reacts with incredulity, as though I’ve boarded the aircraft with a dangerous pathogen! She rudely demands that I return to my seat where water would be brought to me. So after more than five hours in the airport, being sent from gate to gate, having our plane given to others, and finally being cramped into the most uncomfortable plane I’ve ridden since the time I flew in an old discarded Russian plane to war torn eastern Europe in the nineties, (true story by the way), I’m finally comped a bottle of water on the Spirit Flight to Portland.

As a teacher, the ideal life is to teach your favorite classes nine months out of the year and during that period to squirrel away enough money to go somewhere (anywhere) interesting during the summer. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t, but over the course of my career I’ve usually managed to put together some kind of out of town outing. This particular summer we have a pretty packed schedule, and I wasn’t really looking for an additional getaway. But then my wife’s work scheduled their annual conference which included a family suite at the Embassy Suites in Dallas and since my son had a soccer tournament in the area as well, the staycation was on.

The Hotel is located near the DFW airport just off 635 on Bass Pro drive. As the name of the road would suggest, Embassy is physically connected to the Bass Pro Shop. Visitors can walk through the exhibits and sporting goods shop without leaving the hotel complex. Which is convenient for those of us with relatively young children.

Located in the Hotel center is a Starbuck’s which is surrounded by an indoor courtyard where breakfast, and snacks are served. A short walk away from the complex center will take visitors past a restaurant and bar area into the Bass Pro Shop. Walk in the other direction from the center and one finds the hotel pool and gym facilities, as well as a series of conference rooms.

The pool area is sufficient but admittedly not great considering how nice the rest of the hotel complex is. The suites are spacious, comfortable and more than adequate for a family our size, though admittedly they may be a bit small for anything more than two parents and two children. The wifi in the rooms is functional but I found it more convenient to use the internet sharing option on my phone. The complimentary breakfasts provided are hot and satisfying with a pretty good variety. I suggest getting up early though because on a busy day it can be nothing short of maddening to get through the line and find a table. I should preface that by saying that I did attend during a conference and I doubt the morning meal is so chaotic on a regular basis.

I should say a word about the staff as well. While I didn’t have a lot of daily interaction with them, the occasion on which I required their assistance were very positive. They were helpful and pleasant, and any and all questions were answered. All and all my stay at Embassy has been comfortable and enjoyable. My son in particular has had fun, my wife has fulfilled the requirements of her work, (I’m certain she would want me to emphasize that she has enjoyed herself), and I have been productive. All in all, a great weekend.

I remember once, many years ago being appalled to silence by a middle school student who for no apparent reason approached me claiming to be a new born puppy and then proceeded to make puppy noises. At the time I was amazed by the students awkward and frankly creepy immaturity. But at least she was in middle school. While perusing the news this week I came across a couple of stories about a new documentary being produced by British television.

The show documents the lives of “human puppies” (or some such nonsense). That is, a group of people (I refuse to call them a community), who live and act like dogs. They get up in the morning, after passing the night sleeping in their kennels, (I know that sounds like a joke but it’s not), they go to work in normal human garb, (assuming they have jobs, I can’t imagine many do.) and return home to their spouses (assuming they have spouses, I can’t imagine many do) or their roommates and get into their puppy costumes for the evening’s routine. Dinner is taken on the floor in a bowl, while the other members sit at the table and hopefully roll their eyes and make disparaging comments about the household pet.

Now most of the articles I read were adamant that the practice is not a sexual one but I definitely have my doubts. Participants all agreed that the activity was a form of escapism. And rather than find a comparatively healthy way of dealing with life’s challenges and disappointments, like drinking, these losers… sorry, individuals have chosen to level down to a life without cognizance.

A few months ago I wrote a similar article about the Aristotelian implications of adult preschool. The upshot was that according to Aristotle an action is shameful to the degree that the person performing the act is aware that they are behaving inappropriately to their age and station. Thus Adult Pre-school would sadden, grieve and embarrass the great philosopher were he alive to witness it. “Puppy-play” may have driven him to violence.

It seems like every day I read new stories or see new evidence of the abject immaturity of our society and culture. Modern adults, on the whole, deal with far less grief and stress then their ancient parents and continue to seek out even dumber retreats from responsible life. Ultimately here’s the thing to remember: there are moments in life when we all feel genuine shame. That shame we feel is probably not society’s fault. It’s probably not because our actions have been unfairly stigmatized. It’s probably because what we are doing is stupid. And stupidity is its own reward.