Mark’s Musings – January 22, 2014
Mark Fortune
I was one out of two on the playoffs. I expected the Patriots to knock off Denver – was hoping they would. It is really difficult for a true – I say again – true Browns fan to root for anything orange that comes out of Colorado. As in Bronco orange. As I watched John Elway smile with that smile of his that is – oh, irritating? – I saw “The Drive” all over again in my mind. Yeh, I know what most of you are thinking – “get over it Mark.” I would like to, I really would.
But another hapless season by our Browns while the guys in orange are basking in the glory of going to a Super Bowl is about as hard to stomach as orange juice before bedtime. Yeh, I know, that’s probably a typical nightcap for many. So be it. Even having Manning on the team can’t erase the heartache of that cold Saturday so long ago. The Drive, 5 minutes and 2 seconds. January 11, 1987 – but who remembers that. Final score 23-20 in overtime. But who remembers that. 98 yards. Details, details. I hardly remember – really.
Are we moving forward? Is technology the savior that it was purported to be? Yes, that is what a lot of people thought. Let’s look at the global scenario. Despite huge advances in technology, social media, the internet and global connectivity, we still face poverty, disease, disasters of epic proportions, human trafficking, the scourge of drugs and more. More advanced technology does not change the hearts of mankind is the lesson. Perhaps we hear about it more quickly. Certainly.
But it fails to lessen the impact. I’m not sure of the lesson in this – it just came to me late last week while listening to a broadcast. Perhaps if we all did our part, and rose up when others shirk away, the world would be a better place. And perhaps the advancement of technology in third world and developing countries will hasten the demise of puppet dictators, starvation, corruption of leaders and pollution in major world cities. We can only hope.
Local swimmers made some marks in the Coshocton pool last Friday evening. River View’s Lydia Els and Coshocton’s Marc Smith were named the female and male ECOL swimmer of the year which was neat to see. Several ECOL records were broken; school records were broken for both River View and Coshocton – some stood for as long as forty years. And with a strong group of swimmers still emerging, both schools can look forward to some great accomplishments in the next few years.
In all the excitement of the playoffs, I lost track of the Cavaliers – but wait, didn’t they beat the Lakers last week? I read that somewhere. We like that.
For those that attended the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast on Monday morning, Jan. 20th at the Coshocton Village Inn & Suites, attention spans did not drift as the Honorable Mayor Eugene Grant gave a rousing speech on character and love. The folks that put this event together deserve a thank you.
Category: Mark's Musings
