Bzzzz Bzzzz Bzzzz

With the new year approaching, many of us are quietly renewing our resolutions. I strive to improve myself throughout the year by making small goals, but the new year is when I write out my larger aspirations. I think we’d all like to say we made some sort of difference in the world, but without a definitive plan of action we’re likely to do nothing more than talk about it. Some of the things I plan to do next year are rather vague (complete 50 hours of community service) and some are defined (pay off all credit card debt and lower monthly bills). One of my goals for 2005 has occupied my thoughts all morning.

Regular users of Open Diary are likely familiar with the banner ad showing a bike that says ‘Unfortunately, it’s motor is inside playing video games.’ You may also be familiar with the commercials telling kids to get permission from their parents to log on to VERBNow to find out places to play and ways to up their activity level. Watching health and fitness channels will teach you that it is important to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day. With these, and other methods of communication, we’ve been inundated with messages that moving is good, sitting is bad. Just as with our desire to make an impact on the world, we may have good intentions without ever doing anything about them. That is where I would like to come in.

I have tried (and failed) to organize some sort of sport-themed outing amongst my friends. I am no longer in high school so I no longer have the opportunity to regularly participate in games of volleyball, basketball, softball and the like. When my high school days offered me the chance to play I ran from it for fear of looking like the stereotypical fat girl running after the ball only to fall flat on her face. I’ve grown a lot since those days and though I’m still far from an athlete, I’d like to step out onto the field. Finding it hard to believe that I’m the only one who longs for recreational sports to up my activity and relieve some stress, I searched the internet for some local teams. I came across a few city-sponsored leagues so I called the phone number they listed. The city signs up teams rather than individuals so if you don’t know a team who wants you to join you can leave your name with the city as a free agent and they will submit your info to the league where you will, hopefully, get ‘drafted’. As with any sport, the teams want the best players on their side. No one is going to draft someone who doesn’t know what position she plays because she’s hasn’t played in six years.

It all seems to roll back to the adage ‘How can I get experience if no one will hire me?’ I’m glad that the city has a program whereby competitive players who would never make it as a full-time athlete can get their kicks, but what about the rest of us? As I wind through the canyons this afternoon on my daily trek home, I am going to take the first step in next year’s largest goal. I am going to call the city for the second time and learn what it will take to start a program of my own. My goal is to find women (possibly men, too) who just want to get out of the house and play in a friendly environment. Relish has been lucky enough to find a place in her area to play volleyball. I would like to offer that as an option, along with softball, basketball, soccer and flag football. I have no idea how large this undertaking will turn out to be but it is a vision that I believe can become a reality. This, along with my writing, my weight-loss goals and my Avon will be making me into quite the busy bee.