I couldn’t go to sleep so I came in here to write. My girls are watching Gilmore Girls in the living room. I get to get up in the morning, make coffee, put on my yellow bow tie and purple shirt and go to Green Hills to get donuts. I need a few coffee supplies, so I’ll stop off at Kroger too.

I picked up my phone earlier before I turned the lights out to find an app that keeps up with player playing time. I found one. It’s been good, but I’m not spending $1.99 for the “better” version. I’ll work with the free version kinks.

That kind of reminded me of a life lesson. I’m “suffering” through some plantar fasciitis in my left foot. I think it’s a basketball injury. I’ve been eyeing a place at my alma mater where I can join for $200 a year to use the health facilities. I played basketball there many times when I was much younger and a college student. That’s having to take a back seat because of lack of funds, but also because of this injury. Scott Hamilton talks a lot about endurance in his Finish First book. We “fall” down, but we have to keep getting up. Failure is par for the life course. We aim at something, and we don’t get there when we think we’re going to get there, so we keep trying. That’s what separates champions from losers. Champions are people who lose, but they don’t give up.

I want to play full-court basketball again, and I’m going to do it. I may not do it the way I think I’m going to do it, but I will do it. The donut place I pick donuts up at is owned by Norman. Norman plays full-court basketball on a regular basis. Norman and Barbara have been good friends for a long time, and they have encouraged me all the way through my career. I’ve made bagels, coffee and served donuts there many times, and when I see them, there is a welcoming presence I feel.

I know it’s elementary, but I’ll go climb back in bed to try and go to sleep again. I’ll be successful, but can you for the life of you imagine me giving up on going to sleep tonight? Neither can I.

But there are things you and I have given up on, and without disturbing sleeping dogs I’m not going to go there. I am, however, in a different place in life where there are still some things I’m trying to do, and as long as there is breath in my lungs I refuse to give up.

I hope you do the same.