So I woke up this morning and without thinking about much more than I normally do since I’ve been fortunate enough to even be able to wake up, crawl out of bed and partake in those morning rituals that nearly every male finds a good deal of comfort in, and was greeted with a good amount of morning sunshine cascading through the window.

My path was well illuminated and even somewhat harsh on the eyeballs that are often over strained from sending e-blasts and doing what needs to be done to keep Wing Side Up…well…Wing Side Up.  After practicing the medical grade hand washing techniques that were hammered into me during my cooking days, I reached for the towel that is always neatly placed on the side of the sink and then it hit me-I am bald.

Maybe not cue ball, baby butt smooth bald, but beyond even the smallest shadow of doubt, (or lingering wisp of grey) I have the least amount of hair on my head that I have ever had in my entire life, including birth.  As if that weren’t enough, as I slowly looked up from the sink and into the mirror in front of me, I was greeted with the revitalized realization that I am destined to walk around with only one eyebrow for a week.  Then, as I stared back at this strange person that was looking at me from the mirror with a very puzzled stare, I remembered that it didn’t matter that I had only one eyebrow for now because the other one was going to be shaved off in another week.

In the end of course, it’s just hair.  It will all grow back, (hopefully not all grey as so many of you were quick to point out could be a very real possibility at 42 years old), and for the time being it sure is good fodder for jokes in The Wailroom. The point being, is that last night alone another $100 was raised for the Make-A-Wish Foundation because of the bigheartedness of this division we call supermodified racing.  I am never too far away from the thought of how truly fortunate I am to be involved with people who, in what is arguably one of the toughest finanacial strains we’ve seen since the early 70s, continue to rise to the occasion with their generosity and charitable hearts.

Some of you have asked how my 21 Day No-Complaint Challengehas been going.  I’ll be very honest with you, I’ve not made it past 13, (there’s that freakin’ number again-wait, no, that’s not a complaint-just a statement…I think…), days in a row without finding myself irritated with some form of human interaction to the point where I found myself uttering insults, wanting to verbally accost, or otherwise failing to have empathy for someone.  I don’t consider that failing, I only look at it as a way to remind myself to keep trying, and never give up on the idea that we can all work harder at trying to be a little more kind to each other.

When you do something like shaving your hair off for a cause as noble as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, I think it makes you realize how good you have it.  Several times in the course of these events, I’ve said to myself and others who questioned not only my motives but my sanity, (not that this is the only time those things have been wondered about), that I am reminded of those kids who may not be able to grow their hair back, or that have much more to be concerned with besides a lack of hair.

I am reminded of Chase Gassett, the young son of 360 supermodified racer David Gassett from California and the trials and ordeals he continues to have to go through after having his body ravaged by cancer.  I am reminded of how impressed I became with his spirit of human goodness even though he had every right at less than 10 years old to be angry, bitter, and downtrodden.  Chase is in remission but he’s not totally out of the woods yet, and David and Cary still live every day of their lives wondering what illness may strike Chase next because of his compromised immune system.  But the fact remains that as we live our daily grind, most of us have it pretty easy compared to kids like Chase, (and their families), that may benefit from the money you folks helped raised for the 10^th Annual Luther’s Way Out Grafix Make-A-Wish Auction.

Friends, the supermodified racing season is just around the corner.  That fact has manifested itself most blatantly this morning with the arrival of a red breasted robin chirping his way across my sun filled back yard.  Spring has sprung as surely as some teams are planning on firing their supermodified this week. For some of us it’s just a few short weeks away.  Right now, there’s a lot of excitement and anticipation of a great year filled with awesome racing, stable car counts, and the promise of heroes returning to the ranks.

That excitement gives us all a positive vibe and encourages us to do our best to treat each other with kindness and respect.  We’re sure to have issues here and there, rules disputes, questions about schedules and car counts, and maybe even an on track altercation here or there that would make it easy for us to take sides.

I offer up the idea here today with my foolishly bald head and one eyebrow, that when we start to become irritated in the heat of battle, that we do our best to remember how lucky we have it and get through this season without tearing each other or the division apart.  Now, if I could only find my Bentley beanie.

How do you think the 2010 supermodified season will pan out? Will it be good, bad, or the same as every other year? Give me your answer and why you feel that way with a comment on this blog.

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