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#100DaysOfHopper Day 31-32

Day 31: School is out. The US is about to play. So I will keep this brief. A list of thoughts for the summer.

1. Teachers - if you've been counting down the days til the end, it might 've time to reevaluate your career choice. I've been done for 27 days and I miss my kids more than anything in the world.

2. Parents - this isn't your break. This is where you instill education and values on your child. This where you make them better, smarter, more responsible, courteous. You teach them the value of self. I learned more each summer than all the school years combined. Education doesn't stop because school does.

3. Kids - strive to be different. Find your niche, your goals, your hobbies and your calling. Even if for one summer. Don't wait for others to guide you. Go to a museum, a park or lay on the beach, but read, write, paint, draw, sculpt, play an instrument, but do something.

4. Everyone - remember that not all of us have as much as you do and some have more. Your three week vacation might be another's busy season. Your 60 hour work week and the complaints that come with it, might lay a guilt trip on those you care about. Moderation isn't always for petty things. It's important to value what you have, strive for what you want, but stay humble no matter how good or bad things get.

5. Me - I'm not sorry if any of this offends you. If you're my friend, you know this is me. I want your lives to be better, but mostly in how they make all the lives around you better. I can't do my part with money, so j hope if I make you laugh, cry, yell, think or look at others differently, I feel I did my part and I worship the things you do that make me feel.

Happy summer & Go USA #100DaysOfHopper


 Day 32: A day off from the World Cup and I never thought I'd be so miserable. Even more so knowing I'll be missing the Mexico - Netherlands match on Sunday. Might have to switch that plan. Viva Mexico!

Over the last two weeks, I've truly gained a respect and love for the sport. As the group stage ends, the game and the strategy will now change. Ties are no longer an option, something many Americans are happy about. I for one, find the ties interesting, if for no other reason than gamesmanship. I'm in the minority, but then again, my thoughts and feelings usually are. For me this has been two weeks of heaven with at least three days of pure joy.

There has been one thing that has angered me and that is those people who have called our coming together in support of the USMNT as blind or fake patriotism. They claim it is wrong to jump on this teams bandwagon, especially if you don't like the sport. Blind patriotism? So cheering for our flag now has rules? I'm confused.

The same people who want God in our Pledge of Allegiance, want us to quantify our love of this team. The same people who know nothing about the Rangers or Yankees, yet adorn themselves with jerseys and caps in the playoffs, feel their is something not quite authentic about our sincerity towards this team. The same people who hate our president, yet praise our soldiers for carrying out orders blindly, find it offensive to clink glasses together, high five and hug over a goal. Does any of this make sense?

Like the Olympics, every four years our nation puts together a team. Win or loss, they represent the country with pride and class. No matter the opponent and our nation's relationship with them, they go out and play together, in one cohesive unit and at the end, shake hands and show their respect and appreciation for their opponent. Something about that feels right.
I for one, have a much easier time feeling national pride when seeing 11 men wearing the red, white and blue standing on a soccer pitch, than I do seeing a group of men in fatigues holding machine guns.

Men fighting wars started on false information, that has sent our national debt into an area that is incomprehensible, has no true defined outcome and has cost thousands of lives, have your dedicated support and admiration. Yey, men who have dedicated their lives to a sport, but play in this event with no pay, for the sake of suiting up and representing the stars and stripes don't. So, exactly who is the blind one? #100DaysOfHopper

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