tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22194839386130042942023-06-20T21:48:30.110-07:00Hickman-Aaron-LynseyI remember Mrs. Byrd telling us in High School that there is no such thing as good writing, only good re-writing. I welcome any and all editorial comments!Aaron Hickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336752507225420160noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219483938613004294.post-33060964353657502902010-12-30T01:57:00.001-08:002010-12-30T02:03:09.410-08:001 Senior Athlete of the Year Award for Sale!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">So I like sports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From pee-wee to professional and everything in between, you put it on TV and I’ll watch it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give me an Aussie-rules football game of “reality-tv” any day!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Anyone who knows me, or my family knows that’s sports are a big deal to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Dad went to college on a basketball at the University of Delaware.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has been involved in coaching basketball almost ever since and for the last 18 seasons has coached high school girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only job more challenging than coaching high school girls is probably youth minister (shout out to Josh and Hope Butcher), but I digress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is the biggest proponent of using your athletic ability to pay for college, and he has the track record to prove it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of his 7 children, two are high school sophomores and dominating Delaware Athletics<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am the only one not to have played competitively for my University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amber played basketball at Millersville University and was on partial scholarship. Katy played basketball, volleyball, and softball at Hartford County Community College and Wilmington University and was on partial scholarships. Kevin played basketball at Rider University, started out as a walk-on, earned a scholarship and was co-captain his junior and senior years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sarah played 4 years of volleyball setting a school record for assists and is in her 3<sup>rd</sup> season of basketball at the University of Sciences in Philadelphia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s using the eligibility rules as best she can to get 6 years of schooling covered while she pursues a degree in Physical Therapy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention sports are a big deal?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">If you add to that all of the friends, friends of friends, opponents, teammates, etc., I think I can safely estimate that I have personally interacted with over 5000, “student athletes,” past and present, and at nearly every level of competition (JUCO, NIAA, DIV I, II, III and IAA<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I agree with the NCAA in that, “The vast majority of them will be going pro in something other than their sport.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is where we part ways.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Although the vast majority of college athletes will graduate and get jobs outside of professional athletics, every single one hopes to benefit financially from their collegiate athletic experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, the vast majority could use an extra $2500 to help out during the semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I think the argument can be made that vast majority of people period could use an extra $2500.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Enter the most recent NCAA rules violation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A handful of Ohio State football players sold personal property and are, right now, ineligible for the first 5 games of next season.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">WHA... WAIT... COME AGAIN...</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">A handful of Ohio State football players sold personal property and are, right now, ineligible for the first 5 games of next season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, I said it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of and a couple of guys convinced a tattoo artist to not charge them full price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that’s refreshingly <br />
American or Daveramsian depending on your perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder what the NCAA used to assess the fair market value of their tattoos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean had they have gone to Ann Arbor, MI, those tattoos would have cost them an arm and a leg (pun intended), but because they got them at a shop that gave them the best deal, they have to sit out a game.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">For me that is the only question that needs to be answered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who was the rightful owner of the property?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it was the players, then they are in the clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it was the school or the NCAA, then they should be charged with larceny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Larceny may not be the right term, as it has been over a decade since I won a State Championship in Mock Trial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah that’s right and I’ve got the T-Shirt to prove it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Come to think of it, my Mom did just wrap up all of the athletic and other trophies I earned growing up and gave them to me as a Christmas Present, so I’ve got some new merchandise!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The NCAA release states that Quarter Back Terrelle, “Pryor must repay $2,500 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring, Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award and his 2008 gold pants, a tradition-rich charm given to players who are a part of a team that beats rival Michigan.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you think I could get for a Top Senior Athlete Award, a Mock Trial Gavel, and the T-Shirt we made ourselves for beating Friends and St. Mark’s?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll start the bidding at $29.95!<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_edn4" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">But seriously, is the NCAA way off base or is it just me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I know some of you out there who have $700 / month student loan payments for degrees that you aren’t using in your current profession, but that should not enter into this discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our current repayment schedule, Lynsey owes the FEDS $130 / month for the next 7 years for her degree in Animal Science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She currently works for a Christian Crisis Pregnancy Center and works with humans, not animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I am trying to say is that the argument that these athletes are already being paid by getting a free education holds no water with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way I look at it is that everyone has the same opportunity to attend community colleges and manage the women’s lacrosse team for an extra $2000 in tuition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people don’t do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone can walk into Best Buy and ask the manager for a discount and most people don’t do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short what I am saying is that if you overpaid for your college degree just chalk it up to a bad business decision on your part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s get back to the facts.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">How does selling your own personal property negate your status as an amateur athlete?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I haven’t read the NCAA eligibility rule book, but shouldn’t common sense apply?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are the NCAA’s guiding principles:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">* Principle No. 1 — Those who participate in intercollegiate athletics are to be students attending a university or college.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">* Principle No. 2 — Intercollegiate athletics contests are to be fair, conducted with integrity, and the safety and well-being of those who participate are paramount.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">* Principle No. 3 — Intercollegiate athletics is to be wholly embedded in universities and colleges.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I had a physics teacher who used to carry around a copy of the Mission of the United States Naval Academy on a 3 x 5 card.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever a policy would change, he would pull out the card, shake his head in disbelief, and dejectedly put his card back knowing that yet another policy had been created that in no way supported the stated Mission.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The NCAA claims that within Principle 1 lies the foundation of student athletes not being paid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not arguing this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I fail to see how selling my own personal property should be a violation of anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How else are these athletes going to do the things that everyone does in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No I’m not talking about partying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m talking about buying Christmas presents and renting Uhauls so you can move off campus and paying the cleaning fee on your dorm because you have a lousy roommate and maybe just maybe paying for your family to come visit you?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I could continue but I’ll end the misery for those who are still reading with a simple solution to two more pressing issues in the Big Business World of Football.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>College Football Playoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop counting the games against, “The Little Sisters of the Poor,” as games and count them as scrimmages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every conference determines a Champion and those Champions end up in the post season playoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Round out the tournament with at large teams based on the AP/Coaches Poll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Play the first two rounds at the schools with the higher seeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Play the final rounds at bowl sites over the 6 week long “bowl season.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this sounds familiar it’s probably because you know what IAA is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other bowls can still exist because at the end of the day, if I can make money for my organization, my sponsors, the schools that participate, and the stadium employees by having a bowl game, then I should have a bowl game and let the consuming public determine the success or failure of it.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Make the NFL Pro-Bowl an NFL All-Star vs. College All-Star game.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_edn5" name="_ednref5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[5]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the Pros will have a real reason to play, pride, and all the boisterous SEC / USC fans will stop talking about how their team can beat the Carolina Panthers (or whoever happens to be the worst team in the NFL).</div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><br clear="all" /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le0JgK6FlX8&feature=fvwk"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le0JgK6FlX8&feature=fvwk</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> After watching this video 7 times, Lynsey turned to me and said, “Did you ever do something this awesome in High School?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about “Words of Affirmation” from your wife!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll have you know that I did win a State Championship... in Mock Trial!</span></div></div><div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">The NCAA calls this Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) but the way my brain works is that when I see, “IAA,” I read, “One Double A.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t understand this, that’s ok.</span></div></div><div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2010+news+stories/December/NCAA+requires+loss+of+contests+for+six+Ohio+State+football+student-athletes">http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2010+news+stories/December/NCAA+requires+loss+of+contests+for+six+Ohio+State+football+student-athletes</a> </span></div></div><div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_ednref4" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Heather, Logan, and any of you other WCSers reading this, I’ll even though in my Valedictorian Plaque to sweeten the deal (j/k, lol).</span></div></div><div id="edn5" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2219483938613004294#_ednref5" name="_edn5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[5]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Note that playing in this game would remove the rest of your NCAA eligibility.</span></div></div></div>Aaron Hickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336752507225420160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219483938613004294.post-45026665723002875872010-12-20T01:27:00.000-08:002010-12-20T01:27:21.679-08:00Merry Christmas and a Free Boat<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Son, I want you to take a ride with me. There's something I want to show you." These were the words said to me some time in the Summer of 2004 shortly after I returned from studying in Spain. For those of you that know Richard Hickman, I'm sure that your imagination is running wild as to all of the possibilities, but he's my Dad. Some of my earliest memories are of me going on rides with my Dad to deliver oil, find a Christmas tree, shovel out church member's drive way, or go and look at a car for sale on the side of the road. However, whenever we crossed the bridge on 13 N and headed into the city, I knew exactly were we were going... The junk yard.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Aaron, I wanted to get you something special and important. Graduating from the Naval Academy is important. It's important to our family and I'm very proud of you. I was doing a job and the owner just wanted it gone, and I knew that this was for you. Its not in the best shape, but we can go get some tires and get the trailer fixed today and then we'll be able to bring it home and work on it at home." It was my first sailboat. We were going to fix it together. After all, we had two years before the Navy would call me away from home for the second time. I could pursue my Master's in Mechanical Engineering by day and fix a boat by night and on weekends. Sure I hadn't been sailing but once or twice since Plebe Summer, but It'll be just like riding a bike.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Dad, the house we want is on the water. If the owner accepts our offer, I'll be able to launch my sailboat from my back-yard! I know its a long shot, but it was a long shot that we even found this house to begin with. Anyway, how is the boat?" I asked cautiously. "Aaron, its gone." My heart sank. This wasn't just a silly crappy boat that my Dad had picked up for free and stored at his friends junk yard. This was a gift from my Dad. This was a dream of ours that wouldn't be realized. "The boat got vandalized and we ended up scrapping it."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So in my first 6 years of boat ownership I earned a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, started my own business, started and lead worship at Saturday Night Alive (a worship service geared toward college aged students), dated my wife for a year, moved to Charleston, SC, completed Naval Nuclear Power Training, proposed to my wife after a year of dating long distance, moved to Groton, CT, completed the Submarine Officers Basic Course, married my wife, moved to Georgia, went to sea on the USS Tennessee, moved to Chesapeake, VA, qualified in Submarines, re-fueled a Naval Reactor at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, qualifed as a Naval Nuclear Engineer Officer, got shore duty orders to stay in Norfolk, decided to buy a house, found a house, bought a house, moved into our house, and many other things. At no time did I set sail on my boat. Funny huh?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Aaron, I know I've been calling you a lot by mistake recently, but this time It's for real. I'm planning a sailing trip to the Bahamas with Whitney, J.D., and a few other people. We want to pre-stage the boat and Norfolk looks like it would be a great place. Can we come see you? It'll be the week after Thanksgiving." Nearly 15 years earlier, Dr. Mark Plaster took two 13 year old kids to sail the Bahamas. Logan and I had the time of our young lives. "Do you have room for a few stow-aways?" I replied. Man I would love to be sailing the Bahama's. I was made for adventure, right? I've found my Princess and she longs to be caught up in an adventure, right? I mean isn't that what the experts are saying? "Doc, any time you are in Norfolk, we would love to have you."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After helping shuttle Mark and J.D. to West Marine for supplies, we met back up with our respective princesses and had dinner. From dinner it was back to work and the "Night Shift" for me. However this night shift was different. My dream was re-kindled. What was I to do? "Hey sir, what you up to tonight?" said the quartermaster. "Well ET1 Jones, I'm actually really excited cause some friends of mine are sailing to the Bahamas. They stopped over in Norfolk to say hi and they are staying the night at our house rather than freezing on the boat tonight. Take a look at this... they have a GPS that transmits posits via the internet to this website. How cool is that."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"You know sir, I would really love to do something like that. I mean that is my dream. Retire. Buy a boat. Sail around the islands of Greece." It was a good thing there wasn't much going on in the Submarine Force that night because the quartemaster and I were fully engrossed in our dream. From there the search was on. The deal was that if either of us found a boat, whatever the condition, we would help eachother however possible. Only one minor problem... How do I convince Lynsey.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now to the men that are reading this, I'm going to tell you the secret. It's actually quite simple. Tell your wife what you want, let her set the terms and conditions, and then keep to the terms that she set. "Aaron, the only way I realistically see us getting a boat is if it's free and it doesn't make me throw up. Spending $500 or $1000 isn't in our financial plan even if its Christmas. Also, we are committed time wise in other areas of our life. The last thing we need is another distraction. If we want to get out of the Navy in two years, there are plenty of things that take priority over spending money on a boat." I tell you what guys, that was pure music to my ears! I needed a free boat, that was in decent enough condition that I could be sailing with relatively minimal work. That meant that the boat had to be seaworthy as is. Also, not being truck owners, the boat would probably have to be in the water already. The search was on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Talk about a burning desire, I was on ebay, craigslist, local classified ads, boat angel ministries... I even called local marinas to see if they had any abandoned boats. I knew that if I was willing to do the work and exercise my faith through action and patience, I couldn't lose. The same thing had happened for Lynsey and I when it came to finding, buying, and financing our home. In fact, the same thing was true when it came to finding Lynsey. I guess all I am really doing is comfirming the principles of success in that they work in all areas of life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the day came. Wednesday, December 8th, Mr. Hoover's son posted the following: "1972 Fiberglass 28' Newport Sailboat. In water at Norfolk Yacht CC in Norfolk, VA. Owner will donate to first person to move boat. Owner has title. Sail boat is in good conditon. Needs sail and outboard motor." Could this be it. I mean, I don't have an outboard, I haven't spoken with either of my neighbors about using their docks. It was free so I called. But Aaron you work the next three days. Surely it won't last. So I called Alex Jones. "Are you really in man. I mean its there, its free, it floats... The guy says that he was planning on restoring it cause he's restored about 30 boats in past, but he recently had surgery. He just doesn't want to pay the dock fees anymore."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Sir, I am in."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Ok, here's the plan. I'm on watch the next three mornings. Lynsey is going to check this boat out tomorrow before she goes to work. If she doesn't puke, we're gonna take it. He just wants it gone and doesn't want to have to show it to a bunch of people. Are you free Sunday after Church? I think that's the only window of opportunity I have... Great... Ok, I'm off to borrow an outboard motor."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Valentin, how are you? I have a strange request, but do you think I can borrow your outboard motor?" Valentin is my late 50's Bulgarian neighbor. He lives across the water in my back yard and this was the first time I had driven over to his house. He's a US Citizen now, but growing up as a Christian in a Communist country has given him tremedous perspective. And I thought I was just there to borrow an outboard motor. We connected as neighbors, fellow believers, and big dreamers! "You're name is Aaron like the brother of Moses. That's how I remember you. Its too cold to be out so yes you can borrow my motor." Valentin's daughter in France had just had a baby and we looked at dozens of pictures before I left.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">At this point, it was all over but the shouting. Lynsey agreed to check the boat out the next morning. She called me at work and said she gave the guy a $25 check to pay for the dock fees for 4 days. The guy then said that he would tell all callers that the boat was gone. We went to Lynsey's company's Christmas Party Saturday night and much to my surprise, everyone already new we had a boat. I told everyone I was excited like I was getting ready for a blind date. Either way I was sure to be blown away the next day.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">God had several more serendipities in store for me before we got back home with the boat. Again, here I am thinking this is all about me and Lynsey, and Sunday morning my neighbor that moved out a few months back shows up. He had come back to make preps for his new tennants. I approached him to ask about keeping the boat at his dock. He said yes and then we talk about what was going on in his life for the next 30 mins. It was awesome to connnect with him and continue to build that friendship. Some will call in a coincidence, I just believe that God wanted me to be a kind and listening ear and He used a silly boat to get me out of the house.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So there will be pictures posted soon and another blog detailing our maiden voyage. For now, my Christmas wish for all of you is that your dreams and goals would be made alive during this season. Pursue them with a burning desire and exercise your faith knowing that God wouldn't give you a dream or a vision or a passion without a ways and means to fullfil it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Merry Christmas</span>Aaron Hickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336752507225420160noreply@blogger.com2