Fight the Good Fight

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The band Triumph was big when I was a kid. The lead singer has a great voice and every time I hear one of their songs I wonder about what might have happened to such a talented guy. This morning I heard the song, Fight the Good Fight, and it fired me up.

A few times a year, it seems, my back and neck give me trouble. Normally a trip to the chiropractor straightens me out, and I go about my way. It is alarming that a man in such fine physical shape could suffer like this, but what can you do?

This time the trip to the chiropractor didn't help and it's most likely due to the fact that instead of resting afterwards I played 18 holes of very forgettable golf. Every single shot hurt - the four-putt display on hole 14 caused excruciating pain.

And I'm not whining, Pops, rather, I'm thinking about the people who live in pain each and every day, and still find the strength to fight the good fight.

I have a buddy who wears a bag - never once heard him bitch about it. I have another buddy who was badly hurt about ten years ago - not a peep about any sort of discomfort. My sister battled and beat the hell out of cancer - she did it silently. My brother Jeff had a back that crippled him on some days - he still golfed and shot hoops on a regular basis.

Age and injury can render you nearly useless on some days, but sometimes it's necessary to dig real deep. There are so many things in this life that can knock you down. As they say, the trick is in getting back up.

I certainly wish I was one of those guys who could battle back without letting everyone know how much discomfort I'm in. Last night, I told my wife that my back was bothering me.

"Oh really?" she asked. "I hadn't heard that."

Isn't she funny?

Today, however, not one word other than this blog.

I feel great. I'm fighting the good fight.

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