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Facial recognition and casual conversation here on Sesame Street

August 20, 2019

Text talk - Nice threads. Ever get a text message “Call me” and mostly we text back, “Why, what do you want?” We have all learned not to connect blindly into an unsolicited request for conversation. I swim with schools of different muppets in the tidal pools and eddies at Sesame Street by the Sea. Political posters and thread destroyers from social media mostly play nice in real-time facial recognition encounters. Two weeks in a row I’ve taken photos of firemen running 5Ks in full gear, some carrying flags. It’s a patriotic Team USA thing, yet any in-depth conversation might ruin an otherwise enjoyable morning. It’s American instinct to swim in a sea of diversity; only when we’re alone do we type how we really feel about things. 

BreastFest - I have covered a hundred breast cancer races. Like all of us, I’m inspired by sash-wearing survivors who walk by my camera. I want to know their stories. You just find out what I’ve always known, that women are tougher than men. But personally, I think BreastFest is an awkward title, like Testicle Festival followed by a Prostate Picnic. 

No-cut shelter - I have never had to cut an athletic hopeful from a sports team, and I’d find ways not to do it, even if I had to buy extra uniforms with my own money. We’ve all heard this rationalization, ‘I didn’t cut anybody; they cut themselves.” To paraphrase comedian Paul Mooney, “Caucasian, please!”  

Dreaded meetings - Cut lists are no longer permissible to post in school hallways – just too much fun to read by the general population who never goes to games. But a made list is OK. Think of the tragic moment when a kid scans the list for the third time, then reality bites: “You didn’t make it, dude! You can stand there and read the names all day long.” Many coaches have individual meetings to let a kid know if they made varsity, junior varsity, the freshmen team or are going back to eighth grade. People ain’t prepared for that – no can do – and the elimination process never stops. Otherwise everyone with a comb-over would be president of the United States.

Coconut telegraph - A sort of clearing house, a common channel where those with like interests share information. I hear a lot of sports news about who school choiced out of Cape versus those who returned to the mothership. My take on all of this is good kids thrive wherever they go. Just make sure the kid has a vote in the decision-making process. Otherwise they won’t be a good kid for long.

We talking college, man - College freshmen going away from home for the first time and returning upperclassman are privileged to be going to college. They are not being dropped into a hot zone in Afghanistan. I get it. We all want our kids to be happy and stable and prosperous, but let go and stop texting. Just wait for them to text you. Having said all that, I text my college granddaughters any time I feel like it. 

Alia - She is a one-word muppet. The Northwestern Wildcats finally posted her roster photo. Kate Austin coached Alia in field hockey at Cape, and her club coach was Kathleen Fluharty, a Northwestern hockey alumnae. Nikki Parsley, straight out of Milford, also played at Northwestern. Nikki is now the head coach of field hockey at Liberty University. She was an assistant at Yale 2014-15. Don Parsley, Milford wrestling coach, is Nikki’s father. 

Snippets - The Cape boys’ cross country team has 46 athletes listed on the roster for 2019. That is pretty incredible and makes me happy because I cover the team. Robin Lynn, former head coach at Seaford field hockey, most recently an assistant at Sussex Tech, also works at Rise. A true character, Robin was on crutches at the Rehoboth Fire Fightin’ 5K Aug. 18. I asked her what happened. “I pulled my hamstring loose from my pelvis,” she said. It required surgical reattachment. I told coach Robin that I never had a pelvis name dropped on my head in a friendly conversation. Robin had to cross the finish line on crutches, traveling about five yards to get it done. You can find coach Jim Alderman on Facebook. It’s a good place to dog him on all kinds of issues.  Yes, he is dealing with cancer, but I know he wants all his friends to treat him like “Alderman.” The dog won’t bark unless you slide his bowl around. Go on now, git!  

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