The stomp

Gramps Says

We were there. Playoff Game 2 of the Sacramento Kings versus the Golden State Warriors. Draymond Green stomps the chest of the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis. It all happened so fast that from our vantage point, we really didn’t know what infraction had occurred until the incident was replayed on the stadium’s giant screen. In my mind, it was a message from the Warriors to “not mess with us.” It seems a miracle that the Kings have held their own against such a formable collection of players as the 2022 Championship Team. My granddaughter Madison, who works for the Warriors, secured two tickets for myself and my grandson Logan, who chauffeured me to the game. The next time I go, I will remember to take earplugs as hearing loss protection against the shouts of avid fans and the rattling of cowbells. The fans directly behind us were especially vocal with a running commentary of every play. When the ‘stomp’ was replayed on the overhead screen I thought the rafters would not withstand the vibration of the abuse showered down upon Draymond Greene. We had a great time. Golden 1 Arena is an engineering marvel of how to squeeze 17,606 fans into a confined area. You could fit about twoand-a-half times the entire population of Winters into Golden 1 Center and still have room for their dogs and cats. The stairs in the stadium are very steep and the seating rows are exactly the opposite of the Brenden Theatre, where you can recline and still leave ample room for someone to pass. Pity the row in which someone my age has to exit often for a necessary reason. The entire row has to stand to honor passage.

Sophie Says I would recommend not squeezing both dogs and cats into Golden 1 Center at the same time.

Gramps often reflects on how fortunate he is to have grown grandchildren who can do such things as provide tickets, act as a chauffeur and be such good company at a ball game.

The Winters Senior Center is seeking funding for equipment and programming. Mail checks payable to Winter Senior Center Fund to: Yolo Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1264, Woodland, CA 95776

“Before Enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After Enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.” — Zen Proverb

I am my mother’s primary caregiver. Although I moved away from the small town of Winters many years ago, I find myself spending the majority of my days in this town of my “growing up” years to attend to my dear mother as she’s aged and has required more care.

This certainly wasn’t my plan, and as many of us have learned, life often gets in the way of our plans while we do our best to grasp for the extra ball (or five) thrown into our loop of many balls and plates we are already juggling in each of our circumscribed worlds. Being here more often has allowed me to think back on my school years and the people and places that have played their part in helping me structure my life’s foundation.

I recently took my mom over to the Winters History Museum to view the latest display of sports in Winters. It was interesting to see photos of the old high schools, gymnasiums and pools that have occupied former orchards in this agricultural town. There in the displays were photos of boys and girls teams of the kids with which I attended school. I thought to myself, what a rare concept to walk into a history museum and see snapshots of people from my past.

I usually think of museums as places to view the history of people far away and in distant times, how they lived, what they created, and how their presence influenced the world in which we live today. I suppose I hadn’t previously realized this small town of Winters (as do many small towns in the world) played its part in becoming a piece of our world’s history! Silly me! If my father were still alive, he might have rolled his eyes at my “silliness” as he loved reading and exploring the history of the world, country and, yes, this small town of Winters where he also grew up.

I remember when I graduated from Winters High School, Class of 1980. I was one of those kids who couldn’t wait to get away from Winters to explore what else was out there. I was lucky, in that I had the opportunity to make my way through college, after which I felt ready to take on the world as many young people do during this time of their lives.

In my early 20s after securing a job as an assistant manager in a retail store in a town near the central California coastal area, I felt like I was on my way up. Day in and day out, I learned how the working world functions, and after feeling proud of myself for becoming independent and creating a new life, I stopped to ask myself, “Is this IT?” A former college roommate of mine, who was married and living in Wine Country having secured a position in marketing, reached out to me wondering the same thing.

She sent me a letter (we weren’t online with laptops

Eventos hispanos

and cell phones in those days) enclosed with a cartoon comic showing panels of Sisyphus pushing that giant, heavy ball up the hill only to find it had rolled back down to its starting point with Sisyphus showing a look of dismay. This depiction was repeated daily until Saturday and Sunday found Sisyphus dancing while wearing a festive pointed party hat, blasting his breath through an extending blow whistle, holding a can of beer and throwing confetti up into the air. After his happy weekend, Sisyphus is depicted, once again, shoving that giant, heavy ball back up the hill knowing it will roll back down and that he will have to continue this again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera…

Around this time in my life another former college friend and her toddler were in California visiting her dad while her husband was holding down the fort with his Air Force career in England. She and her husband were more traditional and had decided that he would be the provider while she would stay home and do the hard work of nurturing and raising their family.

We three friends were delighted to see each other and took a drive up the gorgeous California coast in the direction of Big Sur. We marveled at the beauty our wonderful state offers and laughed and shared our life experiences thus far.

I remember saying how, as a young single woman, starting a