Cycles and Seasons

"Best fantasy football draft ever."

Five years ago, the guys at the school where I used to work invited me to be part of their fantasy football league. I moved to southwest Florida the following year, but still made the drive back to the land of theme parks and orange groves to participate. Despite my waning interest in American football, I like the fantasy game...and the time with my boys.

In my typical fashion, I had to make my first pick over the phone in my desperate attempt to arrive somewhere close to the starting time. I was pulling in the driveway in time for my second pick, and one of my boys met me at my car, grabbed my stuff for me, and urged me to run in. I made a disastrous pick in my haste. Then I looked at the room of guys and bucked my shoulders when they started to tease me. They backed off.

I was home.

The afternoon was delightful...full of all the stuff that makes guys so great. The barbs. The one liners. The fits of laughter and props for especially good insults. I love the way my boys embrace me as one of their own (believe me, I get just as many insults as they do), yet also display their chivalry by getting me a beer and coaching me on my picks. I've managed a perfect balance in this world.

This was the first year that I stayed after the draft to hang with my best boys. We went out and had a blast drinking out of styrofoam cups at a country club, watching lingerie football, and cracking on each other and the people there. Then we made our way to a sports bar where we met up with some other guys from the draft party and played cornhole and table tennis.

The night ended on the couch with Superbad and Dumb and Dumber where we pontificated on the important parts of life...top 5 comedians of all time...top 5 comedies of all time...top 5 gangster movies of all time...and, of course, how to fix the education system. We're all teachers, after all, and the job is never far from the mind or the tongue.

Earlier in the evening it dawned on me how our lives have evolved and how I can trace them through our annual draft parties. Between us, we've gone through serious relationships, job changes, moves, and legal issues. We've watched the cast of characters shift. We've laughed and danced and consumed far more alcohol than we should.

These boys are part of my tribe. I've missed them dearly, and I loved having them back together again...even for a night. In some strange way, these guys "get" me. I don't have to explain myself to them. They just accept me as I am. That is priceless.