Sunday, December 10, 2006
Don't Look Now ... The Future's Calling
Last night (Saturday), Scott and I went to his company party. It was a festive affair, held at the new Adams Family Mystery Dinner theater in north Denver. We watched and were part of a fun mystery show, that had us guessing who the "murderer" was in a staged event set up specifically for the folks who worked for Scott's company. It was cute. It was fun.
At some point in the evening, the company's actors asked different individuals to stand up and read the clues that they found around the place. The clues were set-ups; they were simple notes found around tables at the party that gave the guests additional information about the mystery we were supposed to be unravelling.
The show was part mystery theater, and part improvisational roast for the owner of the company. Scott's boss is in retail and is VERY well known to people in Denver, (especially those who know where one-half mile east of I-25 on Emporia Street is), and those in SF, and ATL, and Minneapolis, and Portland, and Louisville, and Salt Lake and, well, anyway ... The improv roast bit included much chiding and kidding and making fun of co-workers. It was part of the bit, ya' know?
Oh, I forgot to mention that Scott's boss brought his 7-year old daughter to the show ...
Anyway, the company's actors at some point in the evening asked Scott's boss' daughter to read the clue found by the folks at her table. I think I already mentioned she is 7-years old. Did I also mention that her dad is a multi-millionaire and that she attends the BEST schools available to her on the Front Range? Did I mention that she's a bright and wonderful child?
The mystery company's actors asked this wonderful 7-year old girl to stand up in front of her father's ENTIRE corporate body of employees and read the clue found by everyone at her table. She read it. She read in an absolutely stellar 7-year old kind of way. She worked her way through the words she didn't know. She sounded them out, in that phonics, school-yard kind of way. She squinted with concentration, then very cutely giggled after she worked through a particularly hard part. In other words, she did a STELLAR job for a newbie reader. She got to identify the suspect she thought was guilty. She was wrong. Most of us knew it. But, she got a huge ovation, in spite of stumbling over a few words and guessing the obvious, and obviously wrong, suspect. Everyone at the party knew that that we were watching a little girl who would Wow! people one day. She is a bright, apt, and capable young person. She has the capabilities, the inherited privledge, and the optimistic desire to do well. And she will do well.
Why do I mention this on a Denver Broncos NFL Blog? Umm ... well, I don't think I have to say it, but I will ...
Tonight's game against San Diego ... it was tough. It is obvious that San Diego is THE team with their ducks in a row. It seems to be "their" year. They've been planning this. They are ready. They know exactly what they are doing at this point in the season. Their game plan is superior, their roster is incredible, they are ready in ways that the Broncos are NOT yet ready.
But watching some of Cutler's passes tonight, especially in the third quarter, reminded me of young Miss Scott's Boss' daughter. Like that little girl, Cutler shows so much promise.
The game? Disappointing. But this year, disappointing doesn't feel quite as bad as a fan, because this year, I think that the team is investing in a future that will be rewarding.
Just like watching a 7-year old girl read a difficult paragraph in front of a room full of adults ... Or watching a rookie NFL quarterback pass a football to a receiver like a thread through a needle and pull a lost team from zero to something, even if for a short while ...
Not every syllable is exactly correct, but in reaching for that which is the most challenging, the young Miss, and the young Rookie, gave us all something to smile about - for a Saturday evening, or a Sunday afternoon, or HECK - maybe even an entire off-season.
I'm not writing the Broncos off, but I guess that part of me is trying to say that NOT making the playoffs this year is OK. It's OK because we are building something to be proud of.
A future worth cheering for ...
At some point in the evening, the company's actors asked different individuals to stand up and read the clues that they found around the place. The clues were set-ups; they were simple notes found around tables at the party that gave the guests additional information about the mystery we were supposed to be unravelling.
The show was part mystery theater, and part improvisational roast for the owner of the company. Scott's boss is in retail and is VERY well known to people in Denver, (especially those who know where one-half mile east of I-25 on Emporia Street is), and those in SF, and ATL, and Minneapolis, and Portland, and Louisville, and Salt Lake and, well, anyway ... The improv roast bit included much chiding and kidding and making fun of co-workers. It was part of the bit, ya' know?
Oh, I forgot to mention that Scott's boss brought his 7-year old daughter to the show ...
Anyway, the company's actors at some point in the evening asked Scott's boss' daughter to read the clue found by the folks at her table. I think I already mentioned she is 7-years old. Did I also mention that her dad is a multi-millionaire and that she attends the BEST schools available to her on the Front Range? Did I mention that she's a bright and wonderful child?
The mystery company's actors asked this wonderful 7-year old girl to stand up in front of her father's ENTIRE corporate body of employees and read the clue found by everyone at her table. She read it. She read in an absolutely stellar 7-year old kind of way. She worked her way through the words she didn't know. She sounded them out, in that phonics, school-yard kind of way. She squinted with concentration, then very cutely giggled after she worked through a particularly hard part. In other words, she did a STELLAR job for a newbie reader. She got to identify the suspect she thought was guilty. She was wrong. Most of us knew it. But, she got a huge ovation, in spite of stumbling over a few words and guessing the obvious, and obviously wrong, suspect. Everyone at the party knew that that we were watching a little girl who would Wow! people one day. She is a bright, apt, and capable young person. She has the capabilities, the inherited privledge, and the optimistic desire to do well. And she will do well.
Why do I mention this on a Denver Broncos NFL Blog? Umm ... well, I don't think I have to say it, but I will ...
Tonight's game against San Diego ... it was tough. It is obvious that San Diego is THE team with their ducks in a row. It seems to be "their" year. They've been planning this. They are ready. They know exactly what they are doing at this point in the season. Their game plan is superior, their roster is incredible, they are ready in ways that the Broncos are NOT yet ready.
But watching some of Cutler's passes tonight, especially in the third quarter, reminded me of young Miss Scott's Boss' daughter. Like that little girl, Cutler shows so much promise.
The game? Disappointing. But this year, disappointing doesn't feel quite as bad as a fan, because this year, I think that the team is investing in a future that will be rewarding.
Just like watching a 7-year old girl read a difficult paragraph in front of a room full of adults ... Or watching a rookie NFL quarterback pass a football to a receiver like a thread through a needle and pull a lost team from zero to something, even if for a short while ...
Not every syllable is exactly correct, but in reaching for that which is the most challenging, the young Miss, and the young Rookie, gave us all something to smile about - for a Saturday evening, or a Sunday afternoon, or HECK - maybe even an entire off-season.
I'm not writing the Broncos off, but I guess that part of me is trying to say that NOT making the playoffs this year is OK. It's OK because we are building something to be proud of.
A future worth cheering for ...
