Time, honor, heroes.
Unsurprisingly, I am frequently teased by friends for my, uh, somewhat zealous love for our New Orleans Saints. I hope I take the ribbings graciously. I know how over the top I can get; What with my Saints bath towels, light switch covers, undergarments, spell candles, and universal remote control -not to mention an entire room full of posters, souvenirs, and articles, an entire dresser full of clothing, scarves, and hats. I can see, thank you, why you people might find my love affair a bit humorous.
You didn't laugh so much when my Saints altar helped us win XLIV. But I digress.
One of the reasons I am perfectly OK with having my fandom deemed fanatic is our team members' great acts both on and off the field. Consistently these people have been a welcome part of our community, have helped when we needed them and they were able, have used their celebrity to champion causes that genuinely affect positive changes. They have eschewed their entourage and hunkered down with the rest of us, taking up weapons of mass reconstruction; and have addressed a critical and sometimes cruel media in defense and support of our city's myriad quirks and traditions. Plus they're really fun at parties. And they totally rock at football.
Every now and then, a Saint goes miles above and beyond their usual awesomness and does a thing that can only be described as well, Saintly. Heath Evans is the latest example of this. Our former fullback is raffling off his Super Bowl ring to raise money for Celebration Hope Center (www.healingheartsnola.org/), a counseling center in Metairie that helps victims of childhood sexual abuse. The ring is valued at over $10k. It is one of only 250 ever made; a symbol of Heath's achievement of professional excellence... and a really gorgeous piece of bling. I am seriously impressed by his generosity.
It makes me wonder how precious a possession I would be willing to sacrifice for a cause that touches my heart. It makes me realize that I haven't spent nearly enough time supporting causes lately. For a broke-ass like me, I suppose time IS a fairly precious possession.
I think I'm going to take some time to consider how to better allocate my time. Maybe I'll wander down to that church on Claiborne and Jackson, and ask if they need volunteer help to clean up and repair the Isaac damage. Maybe I'll finally make it across the canal one Saturday, and walk dogs for Villalobos Rescue Center.
Since February of 2010, whenever I am faced with a daunting task, I say to myself, "Well, if our Saints can win the Super Bowl, then surely I can ..."
Now I find myself saying, "Well, if Heath Evans can sacrifice a ten thousand dollar trophy ring, then I can forego reruns of Law & Order SVU for a fucking afternoon..."
Thanks for that reminder, and that perspective, sweetie.
You didn't laugh so much when my Saints altar helped us win XLIV. But I digress.
One of the reasons I am perfectly OK with having my fandom deemed fanatic is our team members' great acts both on and off the field. Consistently these people have been a welcome part of our community, have helped when we needed them and they were able, have used their celebrity to champion causes that genuinely affect positive changes. They have eschewed their entourage and hunkered down with the rest of us, taking up weapons of mass reconstruction; and have addressed a critical and sometimes cruel media in defense and support of our city's myriad quirks and traditions. Plus they're really fun at parties. And they totally rock at football.
Every now and then, a Saint goes miles above and beyond their usual awesomness and does a thing that can only be described as well, Saintly. Heath Evans is the latest example of this. Our former fullback is raffling off his Super Bowl ring to raise money for Celebration Hope Center (www.healingheartsnola.org/), a counseling center in Metairie that helps victims of childhood sexual abuse. The ring is valued at over $10k. It is one of only 250 ever made; a symbol of Heath's achievement of professional excellence... and a really gorgeous piece of bling. I am seriously impressed by his generosity.
It makes me wonder how precious a possession I would be willing to sacrifice for a cause that touches my heart. It makes me realize that I haven't spent nearly enough time supporting causes lately. For a broke-ass like me, I suppose time IS a fairly precious possession.
I think I'm going to take some time to consider how to better allocate my time. Maybe I'll wander down to that church on Claiborne and Jackson, and ask if they need volunteer help to clean up and repair the Isaac damage. Maybe I'll finally make it across the canal one Saturday, and walk dogs for Villalobos Rescue Center.
Since February of 2010, whenever I am faced with a daunting task, I say to myself, "Well, if our Saints can win the Super Bowl, then surely I can ..."
Now I find myself saying, "Well, if Heath Evans can sacrifice a ten thousand dollar trophy ring, then I can forego reruns of Law & Order SVU for a fucking afternoon..."
Thanks for that reminder, and that perspective, sweetie.