OK guys, this won’t be long.
We finally had the After Christmas Party. Wish we had done it sooner (so I would not have caught so much harassment), but I think it went really well. The PAX started arriving at 7pm and over the next 45 minutes or so, all arrived mostly with their M’s. There was great food (thanks Portofino’s) and beverages (thanks Budweiser, Coke, and my M for the Sangria). The arrival of Mayor and his M couldn’t have been timed any better-he walked in to us singing Happy Birthday to him. Thanks also to his M who brought cupcakes from a place called Sugar Fix-good stuff-if you didn’t get one, you missed out. Then, as if on cue, Monk (just back from visiting with the Pope) and his M step through the door right in time to bless the food before we ate. It was great seeing everyone outside the gloom and meeting the wives. Later in the night, Stroganoff presented me with a plaque and some other interesting things for my role as Nantan last year. The skull cap and whoopee cushion keychain will get some serious use-already used the keychain a bunch (at least that is what I am telling my girls). If I had less of the beverages, I would have had a more reasonable response. I was not expecting that and in all sincerity, I really appreciate the kind words and the plaque. This F3 thing has meant so much to so many of us. If I had been prepared, I think I would have said something like this:
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity and supporting me during my time as Nantan. It was really cool watching our leaders in Gastonia grow this cult-it IS a cult-I looked up the definition: a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange. My M and 2.0s think I am very strange and since we are out there together, my assumption is all of our M’s and 2.0s think we are all strange; therefore, we are a cult.
Of all the things I love about F3, it is getting to know all of you that I enjoy the most. Outside of F3, I am pretty sure I would have no other reason to get to know many of you-our circles really would not intersect and with everyone’s busy lives, something else would take over the time we have spent with F3. Also, if we did, by chance, come across each other, it would be much different-no time sleeping outside on a basketball court in the mountains during the BRR, probably no running through the park in Belmont chasing Roscoe with a sword and red cape, absolutely no way I would wear a pumpkin outfit on Halloween while we ran around like a bunch of idiots, I wouldn’t hear any incredibly stupid jokes at 0545 in the gloom, and certainly no slip and slide on a football field in 60 degree weather causing numbness in my hands until my second hot shower around 3pm. OK, maybe the slip and slide but probably not the other things. Each of us is our own unique person with unique characteristics that make us who we are. As a group, we are powerful and as we continue to grow, I know we will harness that power to do great things. My challenge to each of us is this: Look for ways to impact others and try not to miss those opportunities. We heard at Roscoe’s 3rd F at the convergence the other day how Mr. Brown was impacted by 1 conversation with his high school principal then went on to affect so many others over his lifetime. Use your brothers to help with this impact-it can be something small or large. If you get an idea, go for it. Grab a few of us to help and run up that hill full speed with everything you have. It’s ok to fail, it’s ok to fall down, it’s ok if it does not work the way you expected. We will all be better for it in the end. Be the spark that gets the fire started and see what we can do as a group. Thanks again for being part of this cult. As much as I hate to exercise in the morning, my day just is not right without seeing at least a few of you.
Longer than I expected, but there it is. Merry Christmas.
Whoopee