Rock, Paper, Scissors…Hockey

I’m constantly shuffling activities on the calendar. Trying to fit things in. Make things work.

It’s like I Rock/Paper/Scissors everything I do. Which event is more important…has more weight…more urgency. What MUST I do compared to what I’d LIKE to do compared to what I definitely DON’T want to do in any way whatsoever!

I have things all laid out and I get a message about a meeting, a cocktail party, an event I’d like to attend and all of a sudden…I start shuffling again. Who can I ask to drive or pick up a kid from an activity…who can I offer a favour…how can I be at two places at once…maybe I can fit in an hour here, then an hour there, then finish it up with an hour over there so I can manage it all.

And then…something changes with hockey and for some reason…all bets are off and nothing on the calendar matters.

“Dinner this weekend?” came the message the other day.

“No, I have Hockey” was my response.

And, while I would have liked to spend time with a friend I haven’t spent time with for quite some time, I didn’t even have to rock/paper/scissors anything…I didn’t look to see what I could shuffle or where I could make things fit…it was just a solid “No, I have hockey.”

No apology. No “I’ll see what I can do”…just “No, I have hockey.”

As if I’m actually the one wearing the skates. As if hockey trumps everything else on the calendar. Because…well…hockey trumps everything else on the calendar!

Saying “I have hockey” to anyone who has a kid in the sport totally makes sense…’cause they’re playing by the same set of rules! They don’t question that you just turned down a fabulous dinner with a wonderful friend…because…well…HOCKEY! It’s totally accepted! The non-hockey people look at you like you’re absolutely whacked with that “do you seriously have to go to every game” look on their face. “Like…every game?” “You can’t miss one?” “Doesn’t he play a few times a week?” “Weren’t you just in a tournament last weekend?” “Seriously, every Saturday night?”

Here’s how it works…Rock beats scissors. Scissors beats paper. Paper beats rock. But hockey makes it all null and void because…well…hockey!

I can have a super packed tight calendar that I have arranged perfectly with kids going in different directions and drives arranged for everyone when all of a sudden, an extra practice or game throws itself into the mix and all bets are off.

This weekend, we’re heading into our playoff series and there’s a chance that things can be over for us as of Saturday…at which point, my weekends will suddenly be wide open to do whatever else might present itself. But, until then, we’ve got some hockey to play and hopefully, we’ll keep it going for a little while longer.

Hockey beats rock. Hockey beats scissors. Hockey beats paper.

I can’t do anything this weekend…I’ll be at the rink…cheering for my favourite team.

If you live in the same hockey world that I do and would like a copy of this Rock/Paper/Scissors/Hockey artwork, click on this PDF link…and save or print the file! (Psst…the PDF link has a much higher resolution than the image in the blog post.)  

Update: Well…after I posted this I had THREE emails asking for a T-Shirt version of the Rock/Paper/Scissors/Hockey poster…so, your wish is my command.  I’ve started a Tee-Spring campaign and the t-shirt will be available until March 2, 2015.  Click here to order http://teespring.com/rock-paper-scissors-hockey