We have a new friend that plays professional basketball for the Spanish league, Liga ACB. The path to meeting Scott Wood began in the free Spanish classes Susan and I attend twice a week in Murcia. In that class we met a girl from England, Amanda, who is dating a Spanish guy, who happens to have friends on the UCAM Murcia team. Sorry for the convoluted introduction, but that is really how my life evolves. I can assure you that I had no idea that I would go to an English class and eventually meet a pro basketball player.
Amanda is an absolute delight. She has a beautiful smile and winsome spirit that reminds me of Snow White or Cinderella. Her work history as a pole dancer in New Zealand and yoga instructor in New York City don't quite match that description, however. Amanda is something of a gypsy with a wonderful English lilt to her voice. Her boyfriend, Unai, is finishing his law degree through a university in Barcelona. That's where he met and befriended some pro basketball players that eventually moved on to play for UCAM Murcia.
Unai scored us some free tickets to a game, and we were invited to eat dinner with the team afterwards. Before going to the game, I looked up the team online to see if any Americans were playing for UCAM. I discovered that Scott Wood, who recently played for NC State, played on the team, which led me to ask my friend, Adam, who was a cheerleader for State, if he knew Scott. As it turns out, Adam cheered with one of Scott's best friends. I cannot make this stuff up. The path of my life is littered with examples like this.
According to Amanda and Unai, Scott was struggling with the transition from the USA to Spain. He was not learning the language very well and seemed a little down, so I resolved to meet Scott and invite him to dinner with the rest of the team. He was easy to spot outside the locker room, as the only person bedecked in Wolfpack gear. I flashed the Wolfpack gang sign to him, to which he quickly responded, so I took my girls over to say hello and explain our connection. He was happy to have an opportunity to speak in the Mother Tongue and quickly agreed to eat dinner with us. I think I could have invited him to a wrist-slashing party, and he would have agreed to attend.
Since then we have gotten together a couple of times for dinner as a family. We even kept his dog for one weekend, while he played an away game.
That is how my life works. I don't pretend to understand it. At this point, I just accept the opportunities that come and keep moving forward. None of us know what tomorrow will bring, so why waste energy trying to figure it out?
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)
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