F3 Knoxville

THE SCENE: Cloudy and very humid
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops.  10 Burpees.  10 Tempo Squats.  10 Windmills.  5 baby arm circles forward and backwards.  5 wide arm circles forward and backwards.
THA-THANG:

Mosey to stop sign at southeast corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers (four count).

Mosey toward Northshore gate of the park.  Stop at shade tree near Area 51.  20 Hello Dollies (four count).

Mosey to the perimeter trail that crosses road near the Northshore Gate.  We will do Nickel, Dime, Quarters (running one light and stopping for five of an exercise, running two lights and stopping for ten of the exercise, and running five lights to stop and do 25 of the exercise) heading south on the perimeter trail and staying on the perimeter trail until it reaches the Southeastern Ball Park.  We will do the following exercises during our stops:

• Merkins
• Squat Jumps
• Big Boy Sit-ups
• Star Jumps
• Dive Bombers

Mosey to the Pavilion by Southern Ball Fields. We will do Elevens at the picnic tables starting with one decline merkin and ten bench dips.

Mosey to the Outdoor Chapel

We will pair up into teams of two men each.  While one man on time runs around the chapel on the sidewalk the other man does bench dips.  Partners switch off after one circles the chapel.

Mosey on roadway back toward the Admin Bldg.  We will stop 1/3 of way their to do 20 Flutter Kicks (four count) and 2/3 of the way there to do 20 Bicycle Kicks.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
BEYOND WORDS

Last Friday, I was reading a book when my wife, Jan, happened across the movie Steel Magnolias on television.  I had seen the movie back in 1989 when it came out.  I kept reading my book but as the movie went on I gradually cast the book aside and focused on the screen.  OK, my wife and kids make fun of me for crying at movies and I cried at this one.  The movie centers around a group of women who are friends played by famous actresses and a famous songwriter, Sally Fields, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, and Olympia Dukakis.  It also focuses on two younger women played by young actresses who would later become famous:  Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts.  All of these women are bonded to one another and their bond becomes stronger over time.  They keep that bond, despite the quirkiness of each individual.  They also keep the bond despite the fact that they sometimes say idiotic, off-base or even hurtful things to each other.  But what they say counts, is relevant, and helps each of them to grow – they are not therapists, they are friends and the power of their love for one another GOES BEYOND WORDS.

In the movie, Sally Fields plays the mother of Shelby who is played by Julia Roberts.  Shelby dies of medical issues.  The friends are together at the cemetery after the funeral.  Daryl Hannah’s character is a simple young woman and a quirky religious fanatic.  She at first sounds trite when she says to Sally Fields, “we should all be rejoicing because Shelby is with our king.”  Fields gets pissed off at this saying “excuse me if I am selfish and don’t feel like rejoicing.”  But it is the simplicity and earnestness of Daryl Hannah’s character who, thereafter, touches Field’s heart.  Hannah talks about how Shelby had to fight to stay alive and about how her “body just couldn’t keep fighting any more.”  She apologizes for her simplicity but talks about how she views heaven as a better place with Shelby there.

In another scene in the cemetery, Fields is breaking apart with her friends, hurting, angry, questioning the unfairness of her daughter’s death, and screaming that she just wants to hit somebody.  The Olympia Dukakis character pushes her friend, a sort of curmudgeon character played by Shirley MacLaine, in front of her and says, “Here, hit this.  It will make you feel better.  Go ahead and sock her one in the face.”  MacLaine stomps off pissed while the remaining women, including Fields, break down laughing.

You then see the apology scene between Dukakis and MacClaine, a touching scene where Dukakis explains she was just trying to break the tension of the moment.  She playfully nudges MacClaine and MacClaine nudges back.  The two end up bumping each other off the park bench.  It is the simple, joking act of pushing each other back and forth that shows the love between them.

I bring all this up to say that as F3 brothers, as friends to one another, we do not have to always say the right thing.  If you care for your brother that care is gonna show through, no matter what kind of stupid thing you say to him.  It may be a silly joke, it may be a bopping of hands, it may be you placing your hand on your brother’s back during prayer time in the Circle of Trust.  Our connection between one another GOES BEYOND WORDS.  It is the being there that counts.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Tank and for two people who were killed by drivers under the influence of substances this past weekend.