Let Us Be Thankful For These and All Our Many Blessings

Tale of the Tape, November 26, 2010
Alyson Gramley, ATC
Contact me: adgramley@troy.edu

WOW! It's already Black Friday...seems like yesterday we were gearing up for pre-season football camp and now I'm in Starkville, MS, for the fifth basketball game of the year! There have been some up's and down's along the way since I've last contributed to the blogs. In my defense, I've been extremely busy with my real job. With that said, it has been a record year in the Injury Department, both with football and basketball. Hopefully that department will be among the many others depleted with all the after-Turkey Day shopping going on today!!

Indulge me in "Reasons Alyson is Thankful This Year" if you will (not in any particular order):

Reason #1: Improved Modes of Travel-We traveled over to Starkville on Thanksgiving Day on one of my many reasons for thanks: a sleeper bus! The Men of Troy started utilizing this method of transportation a few years back and I can't imagine making a long trip in any other fashion. Since I immediately seem to fall asleep when the bus is put in drive, the horizontal possibilities on the sleeper bus are much more favorable than those on a regular "seated" charter bus. Now, don't get me wrong, the satellite TV and internet are added bonuses!

Reason #2: Life's Lessons Learned in Spectacular Places-I've been around the sun seven times as the basketball athletic trainer at TROY, and over 14 times all together as a member of the Trojan Athletic Training Team. I've been to Europe, The Bahamas, The US Virgin Islands, Texas, Alaska, Miami, and almost everywhere in between, all in the name of TROY! That is an amazing statement by itself. And in all those years, I've had my share of winning and losing. Thankfully, however, there has been more of the former than the latter! I have learned one profound thing about myself in that time: I don't like to lose. In a recent philosophical debate with some of the basketball media staff, I made the comment that "winning is easy, it's the losing that's hard!" They didn't necessarily agree with me. Maybe I'll explain my point in another blog one day.

Reason #3: Health- Although my job relies on the presence of un-health of active individuals, I've been blessed with reasonable personal healthiness. I am consistently trying to increase my physicalitythrough jogging and the like, recently to my detriment. I am currently harboring a little shoulder thing acquired in my plight to acheive "INSANITY" with some co-workers. It was a fun time had by all and we definitely did some insane things in the workouts. Unfortunately my right shoulder couldn't keep up with Level 2 of Insanity...I'll eventually heed some of my own advice and work through it, but for now there are others that need attention.

Reason #4: Extended Family- I have an exceptional travel partner on this trip, my daughter. Since my "real" family was spread about and our travel plans had us on the road for Thanksgiving this year, I was able to bring Mere's along for the trip to Starkville, MS, with my "other" family. My Trojan Family has been almost as important to me as my Gramley Family and both are equally a tad dysfunctional at times! The Holiday Season reminds us all to be thankful for our friends and family. I am truly thankful for the many blessings I've been granted in the "Awesome Family and Friends" department!

When my dad says the blessing at meals in our house, he always says "Let us be thankful for these and all our many blessings." It was what his mother said when she blessed our meals! Remember to be thankful every day, not just on the Thanksgiving Day.

In closing, here's a few Alyson-ism's:
Be thankful for wins when we get them and the lessons learned when we lose.
Be thankful for health when we have it and for Athletic Trainers, like me, when you lack it.
Be thankful for your family regardless of how dysfunctional it may seem.

Thankful, as always...
Go Trojans!!
Alyson