“Who Woulda Thought It…?”

It’s the sort of thing that happens to other people; something that never occurs to someone such as myself to even be concerned about. I wouldn’t even know where to begin to prepare for such a development, and yet, here I am, totally immersed in what can truly only be described as feeling like a bad dream. Naturally, I am fairly certain that this particular development will not receive the vast amount of exposure that it likely would if it were, indeed, “happening to someone else” (specifically some high-profile public figure typically accustomed to having his/her every-day existence broadcast for the world to see), but the very fact that it has happened deserves at least the limited attention I can bring to it.

As I sit here attempting to poke all the right buttons to paint an adequate editorial picture of this experience, I find myself struggling to even find the words to suitably describe the whole ordeal. Perhaps it’s mostly the fact that the initial shock and surprise have not yet worn off. Or maybe it has more to do with what I feel is the sheer absurdity of the situation I find myself in at this very moment; a point at which I, only a few days ago, considered to be one of the more satisfying periods in my relatively short yet illustrious career. Still feeling the pride of accomplishment of having succeeded in getting the S.E.R.A. back into the Desoto National Forest’s Chickasawhay District last year, being proclaimed S.E.R.A. Sportsman Of The Year a mere six months ago and finding myself well on the way to completing preparations for the long-awaited return to Rattlesnake Bay next month, I would never in a million years predicted that things would or could possibly take such a radical turn at this point. I have to, once again, refer to the old “that only happens to other people” belief that most of us have developed with regard to such unthinkable occurrences. And yet, here I sit still reeling with shock as reality slowly but steadily sinks in.

One has to wonder exactly where the ‘inspiration’ for this proposition even came from. In light of all that has taken place in recent months, one would think that the way had been paved for everything currently in progress to simply go forward as planned. The old rhetorical question “Why rock the boat?” comes to mind. After hours and hours of continuous contemplation, I am at a loss for a logical reason for this to happen the way it has at this particular time. It had appeared to me that everything was ‘on track’ and progressing smoothly, but from somewhere totally unexpected and absolutely unanticipated, the decision was made and word went out almost immediately. All the fast thinking and fast talking that I have done ‘on the fly’ in the past, when last-minute developments with Forest Service or National Guard Personnel ‘threw a wrench’ into our immaculately devised and impressively executed plans a few days or a few hours prior to one (or more) of our previous enduros at Rattlesnake Bay pales in comparison to the negotiations that have taken place during the last few days. And, still, there is no wavering in the Final Decision made and handed down in this difficult and unpleasant ordeal.

Only a few short weeks ago, I put together a light-hearted composition based on the recent ‘change of heart’ that Brett Favre had regarding his earlier decision to retire from Professional Football. This, of course, was sort of a ‘continuation’ of my dissertation from earlier this year in which I claimed to be announcing my own ‘retirement’ from Event Coordination. I could never have predicted the seemingly strange turn of events in Brett Favre’s ‘renewed’ career which have culminated in his being traded to the New York Jets. Nor would I have ever envisioned any remote possibility of the even stranger turn of events that followed closely behind the announcement that Brett Favre would be leaving the Green Bay Packers.

Only time will tell how things will work out for Brett Favre and his new team. In the meantime, I will be busy making a few adjustments of my own. While I am sure there will not be a media frenzy the likes of what is still going on over Brett Favre’s latest career move, I feel sure that, emotionally at least, I will be experiencing at least a little bit of what he no doubt has felt in the last few days. As surprising as it may be for most people to discover, S.E.R.A. President and Vice-President Danny Stevens and Ed Bowen have apparently decided to follow the lead of the ‘upper management’ of the Green Bay Packers in their approach to dealing with Brett Favre. As it turns out, I have just been traded to S.E.T.R.A.