I ventured out for a walk/run this afternoon. I had gone about 2.5 miles, and was on a decline run (love those declines), and I spotted a cyclist coming toward me, about a quarter of a mile away. I thought it was my neighbor on her mountain bike, but as it got closer, I could see that it was a road bike. It was that Spouse o' Mine! That was a nice surprise. He rode back with me as I ran, then walked, then ran, and...oh, you get the idea. I like it when he surprises me like that.
As we were traveling down the road, our conversation went from subjects such as:
"What animal do you suppose built that nest?"
to "Calves and Cows",
to "Jeremy Lin",
to "What an indigo bunting looks like",
and so on.
A good Sunday conversation.
About Jeremy Lin: Harvard grad. Smart guy! It sounds like he comes from a great family. A good basketball player - what would they call him? - a sleeper? That is to say, he was overlooked for much of his college career, and when given the chance to shine this winter with the New York Knicks, boy, has he!
Now, here is what that Spouse o' Mine and I were chatting about as we ventured down the road in rural Kansas: One hears and reads little about Jeremy Lin which is NOT prefaced by the word: Asian. Asian Jeremy Lin. Asian this - Asian that - Jeremy Lin. Not "that California kid", or "the stellar student from Palo Alto". Asian player Jeremy Lin. How absurd. If you Google Asian basketball player, the first thing up is Yao Ming. And number four is Jeremy Lin. Now: Google "African American" basketball player, and there are lots of sites, but none for a particular man or woman who plays basketball. Google "Caucasian basketball player", and #5 is some blurb about Larry Bird. Google Mexican basketball player, not much to see. I am wondering, why can't we celebrate that there is a stellar university grad out there, who seems to be crime-record-free, who has no children out of wedlock, no tattoos (that I can see), and seems to be on a healthy road to success? Why is he only known as Asian Jeremy Lin?
Ok, that was one of our conversations out there on the road this afternoon. And here is a happy aside to it: An article in Time Magazine, tells of Jeremy Lin's father, Gie-Ming, and how he would take Jeremy to the YMCA after he finished his homework. They would practice and play in pickup games. "Many Asian families focus so much on academics," says Gie-Ming. "But it felt so good to play with my kids. I enjoyed it so much."
I appreciated reading that, because that Spouse o' Mine did much the same with our three kids - went out and played with them. Come to think of it - that's exactly what my Dad did with us, too! Maybe that's why I enjoyed reading about this family. I wish them much success, in the healthy athletic and academic arenas.
After my walk/run down the road, I came back to face the task at hand: Biserka the Bouvier has blown her coat. What does that mean? We can assume that spring is well on its way, because when a furry dog "blows its coat", it means that it is shedding, in a big way. See:
This video shows exactly what I did this afternoon with Biserka. I had noticed her earlier this weekend, scratching, and sure enough - that cotton-candy fur was coming out in heaps and heaps. The aftermath looked like something dark and hairy had been slaughtered in our yard. Darn it! I had hoped the wind would have taken the fur with it to Nebraska or Oklahoma, wherever the "variable" wind this afternoon would have deigned,but the fur seems to have planted itself in our yard. Hmmm... maybe some birds will build Bouvier designer nests this spring.
And now, daughter Claire is calling to rant about the southern Virginia drivers who, according to Claire, have no hope of coping in the foretasted snow the next 48 hours.
And this is our Sunday!
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