A Week that Was - and Still Is
- By Doug Coleman
- Published 02/7/2008
Doug Coleman
I like simplicity. I write about simple things like easy (simple) time management and customer service without slogans, just good sense. I enjoy auto racing, opera, jazz, puppies, and sunsets. There's nothing better than a glass of wine watching a brilliant sunset listening to Oscar Peterson's piano. Life is good.
Today is Thursday. It has been four days since this week started. Look at what has happened so far, and the week isn't over yet.
Even if you aren't a Giants fan or don't care about football or sports, the Super Bowl game was a fascinating way to spend a couple of mindless hours. The Nation Anthem was sung by a pop singer who didn't stylize the melody too much (I really dislike any personalizing changes). I don't recall seeing the "cheerleaders" for either team on camera as too often happens earlier in the season. Two excellent quarterbacks, one young and one experienced, leading two teams that played well by the rules and played hard. But the best part was the presence of an "underdog" and a favorite. As it turned out, the inexperienced Eli Manning led his "underdog" team to an exciting win. It was a game that justified the existence of professional football in our lives. The week started on a high note.
Then, Super Tuesday arrived amid great hype and forecasts of wins and losses based on polls and interviews. All day long, the new media gave running accounts of trends and expectations. In the end, what
we all expected became the reality. For the Democrats, they are back in square one. The only winners were the media who received millions of dollars in advertising revenue. The Republicans seem to have made their preference known, for the moment at least. This was effectively our country's first National Primary. A massive effort with interesting results, But then...
The tornadoes struck across the South with a rare force and size seldom seen. Death and unbelievable destruction were left in the wake of multiple tornadoes. As is often the case, the damage was hard to accept as real. Cars and trucks stacked in layers, homes shredded and removed, not just knocked over or damaged. They disappeared. A mother found dead after being hurled through the air and her infant found 250 yards away alive with only bruises and cuts. Survivor stories were everywhere, but the one that got my attention was about a church that was to have a regular meeting where over 100 people would be in the building. After seeing the late afternoon sky, the pastor canceled the meeting. The storm arrived and completely destroyed the place where the meeting was to have been held. Unbelievable.
And the week is not yet over.
Even if you aren't a Giants fan or don't care about football or sports, the Super Bowl game was a fascinating way to spend a couple of mindless hours. The Nation Anthem was sung by a pop singer who didn't stylize the melody too much (I really dislike any personalizing changes). I don't recall seeing the "cheerleaders" for either team on camera as too often happens earlier in the season. Two excellent quarterbacks, one young and one experienced, leading two teams that played well by the rules and played hard. But the best part was the presence of an "underdog" and a favorite. As it turned out, the inexperienced Eli Manning led his "underdog" team to an exciting win. It was a game that justified the existence of professional football in our lives. The week started on a high note.
Then, Super Tuesday arrived amid great hype and forecasts of wins and losses based on polls and interviews. All day long, the new media gave running accounts of trends and expectations. In the end, what
The tornadoes struck across the South with a rare force and size seldom seen. Death and unbelievable destruction were left in the wake of multiple tornadoes. As is often the case, the damage was hard to accept as real. Cars and trucks stacked in layers, homes shredded and removed, not just knocked over or damaged. They disappeared. A mother found dead after being hurled through the air and her infant found 250 yards away alive with only bruises and cuts. Survivor stories were everywhere, but the one that got my attention was about a church that was to have a regular meeting where over 100 people would be in the building. After seeing the late afternoon sky, the pastor canceled the meeting. The storm arrived and completely destroyed the place where the meeting was to have been held. Unbelievable.
And the week is not yet over.
