It's been a while since I've written anything publicly. A lot has changed, so I thought maybe I'd get some thoughts down to share with those who might care. I also want to keep my annual blog streak alive and 2020 is (thankfully) almost over.
The last time I wrote anything publicly was late September 2019 and the last time I did a podcast was December 2019. I stopped podcasting & blogging (mostly about sports) last fall, after landing a bit of a dream job in sports market research that I started in October 2019. Since I would be working day-to-day with the NFL, NBA, their teams and their sponsors, I thought it would probably be a good move to stop formally slandering some of their franchises...at least for a little while.
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I made a lot of great friends at that job and ended up bringing one of them to a Sixers vs. Pistons game on March 11, 2020. You may remember that night as the last night of normalcy in America.
Like the rest of the country trying to navigate COVID-19 protocol, I was soon working from home and shortly after, furloughed. I spent most of the spring learning how the unemployment system worked and hoping with many others in sports & live events that my job would survive the pandemic (spoiler: it did not).
However, this bad turn of events happened to coincide with one of the best pieces of news I had ever heard - my wife (Erin) was pregnant, due in late November just after Thanksgiving.
Immediately, the gift of time (and steady unemployment checks) that furlough provided allowed me to prepare our house/family for our son. I got to spend a lot more time with my wife (who thankfully holds a job in healthcare that allows her to work from home) and reading books that I had been meaning to read. I think I even got better (or maybe worse?) at virtual poker. A time of uncertainty suddenly felt like time well spent during a year where mostly everything else stunk. Maintaining positivity was key.
The lesson, as always, is count your blessings.
When my furlough finally turned into a layoff in August, I was somehow able to find a great role at a promising company in pharma market research. Things suddenly were looking up professionally - and I was relieved I'd be able to help my wife in funding this quickly-approaching kid! I even *almost* forgot about the Sixers getting swept by The Boston Basketball Team in the NBA bubble playoffs! Seriously, what an embarrassment that was.
My son (Marco) was born on November 7, 2020 in what is now a Top 3 day of my life alongside July 14, 2018 (my wedding) and February 4, 2018 (if you know, you know). And his birthday? It ain't 3. He's brought endless joy to Erin & I as we remain "stuck" at home.
The Sixers, perhaps out of their supreme bubble embarrassment, went ahead and hired a new coach in Doc Rivers and a new president of basketball operations in Daryl Morey (whose conference I've been attending for 6+ years). Being a Sixers season-ticket holder went from shame to hope...at least for now.
It's December now. Carson Wentz still stinks and will never be Nick Foles, but the Eagles seem like they're finally realizing that and moving on to the promising Jalen Hurts. I've moved on too. And I'm hoping our country continues to move on from a truly awful year. I count myself as one of the fortunate few this year and my prayer is that however this pandemic affected you, that you're able to count the blessings - both big & small - in your own life. There's a lot wrong today, but the nice thing about life (and sports) is that there is always tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a better 2021 with my family of 3.
