Kelli Gave Me the Letter "P"

This is how it works: Comment on this entry and get a letter. Write ten words beginning with that letter, including an explanation of what the word means to you and why.

Peyton – When Kelli gave me the letter “P,” I wondered if it was on purpose, but regardless, I’ll take any chance I can get to put Peyton Williams Manning’s name on my blog, again. I can think back on my 27 1/2 years of life and don’t think I could note another athlete that I obsess about as much as I do with Peyton. That’s not to say there haven’t been other obsessions of athletes, but none of them have been as thorough as Peyton. I could spout out his stats or you could just watch ESPN. He’s an amazing individual on and off the field. He’s intelligent (finished college in 3 years) and has his priorities straight: Faith, Family, Education, and then Sports. I just wish there were more like.

Pandas – I’ve been collecting pandas since I was in elementary school. They are my favorite animal. They are on the endangered species list primarily because they’re not too thrilled with the idea of mating with each other. Even though this world has to keep them in captivity in order to help this species avoid extinction, I’m glad they’ve been at least minimally successful. Oh and Tai Shan is as adorable as you might think and no longer looks like a butter stick.

Peeler – Family name – my heritage and my roots.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – The first Bible verse I memorized: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” There are also books titled Psalms, Philippians, Philemon, and 1st and 2nd Peter in the greatest Book ever published: The Bible.

Pal – A synonym for friend. I cherish my friends greatly and know in the deepest recesses of my mind and heart that I would not have survived the last 27 1/2 years without them.

Perth Amboy, New Jersey – Birthplace of John Francis Bongiovi on March 2, 1962, but he grew up in Sayreville, NJ. In the 1980s, he would become known to the world as Jon Bon Jovi, lead singer of the rock group Bon Jovi, which includes Richie Sambora (lead guitar), Tico Torres (drums), and David Bryan (keyboards). I can talk for hours about everything I know about them or you could just buy their albums.

Port Charlotte, Florida – Not my birthplace, but definitely the home of my childhood. We moved there when I was 2 months shy of my 3rd Birthday. My parents still live there in the house where I grew up. The town was devastated by Hurricane Charley in 2004, but it is bouncing back as I knew it would. By default, I must mention Punta Gorda, Florida, the city just across the river where I went to high school. Lots of memories still live there for me.

Paul William “Bear” Bryant – Many people could be credited with creating Alabama Tradition and many people are. But for my immediate recollection and knowledge, I lay that title squarely on the shoulders of one Paul Bryant. His rough exterior hid his heart of gold that was deeply rooted in his faith in God. In his lifetime, he brought the Alabama Football program to a place in our history that can never be denied. I have a lot of memories from my days in Tuscaloosa at The University of Alabama. I could speak at length about the person I became during college and the friendships I made. I could talk your ear off about how great the accounting and English programs are. Or you could just experience a Saturday afternoon in the fall at Bryant-Denny Stadium where you will undoubtedly need no further explanation. ROLL TIDE ROLL!!

Phil Ford – If you’re familiar with North Carolina Basketball history, then you probably know who Phil Ford is. Phil Ford isn’t as well known as the other North Carolina basketball grads such as Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Antawn Jamison, etc. But that doesn’t make his contribution to the Tarheels any less significant. For the longest time, he sat next to Coach Smith and Coach Guthridge as an assistant until he was unnecessarily fired by Coach Guthridge’s successor Matt Doherty (the worst hire in Tarheel history). During his playing career with the Tarheels, Phil earned All-ACC First Team, All-ACC Tournament First Team, and First Team All-American accolades three straight years each. He was also 1978 winner of the John Wooden Award, and was named ACC Player of the Year two years straight. He has been a keeper of Tarheel Basketball tradition longer than I have been alive, and is, hands down, my favorite Tarheel of all time. Vince Carter, Shammond Williams, Sean May, and Dante Calabria round out my top 5. (I know it’s sacrilege to not have MJ in my top 5…get over it.) Currently, Phil is an assistant coach for the New York Knicks where Larry Brown (another UNC grad) is the head coach.

Possibility – Faith makes things possible, not easy. But it is that possibility that keeps me going every day. The idea that there is something more, something out there, something undefined, something I have no idea is coming. It’s full of anxiety and excitement, but just knowing there is possibility in all of us is fantastic. Uncertainty doesn’t always have to be a negative!