A few weeks ago I stood in front of the tribe and, having been fortunate to co-lead this group for 2 years, I fake announced my retirement before turning on a dime and sharing that my wife, Cathy, and I are having a baby. I’ve been calling him ‘Nugget’, which is also what I call Einstein’s dog, Kiwi, but that’s not the point. The point is that I got a little choked up, and almost got the tears rolling with my fake announcement. Chalk one up for getting one over on your old man.
Fast forward to this past Friday night. Cathy and I had a date to meet Matthew & Virva, Erick & Christine at Grandma’s House just to catch up, and I guess do couples things? We passed out hugs, I ordered a beer and got Cathy some preggo juice (water). Erick informed us that Christine was holding a table for us in the back – never mind the completely empty table we were all standing around. We walked to the back and there you all were, waiting in the dark, like some over-sized teenage garage Halloween dance party (if you’ve been to one recently, you know what I mean). The hugs began and the sea of people began to part, revealing a mountain of onesies, diapers, diaper bags, a car seat, and Nugg’s first ride – a stroller. I’ll be damned if it didn’t happen again. For a good 5 seconds I couldn’t swallow, speak, smell, or manage much of any other of my senses or abilities. All I could think was ‘Son of a b****, they got me again.’
The next morning I left Fitness in the City after working with someone and the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” was blaring from my factory speakers like I just got upgraded at Radio Shack. It was almost 70 out in November, and I’m gonna be a dad – tinny factory sound like I don’t give a fuck. I caught it at my favorite part (3:30) and it became one of those all-too-rare life moments where you’ve been juggling no less than 8 things at once and everything is in line, everything is perfect – you feel like you’re hovering above yourself, watching you live your best life. SHIT! Why do I keep choking up?!
What has transpired in my head over the days since the ‘Dachelor Party’ has been a tornado of thoughts on NP, NP5280 specifically. Not only did a hoard of you show up to celebrate my wife and I making a human, but you turned around the very next morning to help Matthew and Virva move into their first home together. No expectations, no questions asked, just showing up, as we do.
My past 4 years with NP5280 culminated Friday night in occasional intense waves of emotion. Just over the last couple years, you’ve seen me through my grandpa’s death, my engagement, marriage, and successful baby-making with Cathy.
Where else does this happen, that as adults, we find ourselves among throngs (not just a handful) of friends for multiple major life events? As the tribe has grown and evolved, so have I. Because of you, I’m faster and fitter, I’m more considerate and compassionate, I’m more engaged in my community and immediate surroundings, I’m a more informed citizen, I have more self-esteem and less self-doubt, I’m a better physical therapist, I might be a little better at time management.
All of those things, and more, comprise the last 4+ years I’ve been back in Denver and came thundering toward me multiple times Friday night like a herd of bison over a hill.
I suppose the point to my meandering thoughts is that I know my experience with our tribe isn’t exclusive. Every single one of us who has taken the time to plug into the tribe has invariably drawn from it the energy and inspiration to improve ourselves. It’s truly an incredible phenomenon. Just by being around each other, we make ourselves, and the person next to us better. Again, I’d argue there aren’t a plethora of environments where that exists in our adult lives. That’s what makes this so special – when you take the time, you plug in, you get carried along the waves of positivity, barely noticing how it’s changing you.
From the absolute bottom of the bottomest part of my heart, THANK YOU! Thank you for letting me try my hand at leading. Thank you for making me a better human. I only hope I can return the favor.
Most importantly, THANK YOU, to Cathy who never complains, always supports through early alarms, late night text conversations to plan workouts, lingering smells of spray paint, and on and on. I wouldn’t and couldn’t do this without you. I love you.
Don’t lose that vibe. Don’t fake that funk.
Woody
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Hello, how can I connect? Pacifico loves the adventurous lifestyle of DEN November Project and would like to host an event for the team with beer and free food.