Seriously, how did I get here?

I spent the afternoon today hosting a 32-team flip cup tournament, complete with a full color bracket and every team in custom uniforms.  Josh Kelley and Drew Copeland of Sister Hazel were gracious enough to host, referee, and commentate.  These guys were hilarious.  Although there was no official winner for uniforms, I gotta give a shout out to my new friends, the girls of Team College, hailing all the way from Texas A&M.  A for effort ladies.  The eventual winners were the Buzz Killers, defeating the Slore Corps in a close final match.  Congrats!

A surreal moment hit me today halfway through the Sweet Sixteen.  As I’m explaining the rules to two teams, Boys Gone Wild (a super band comprised of Keith Kane and the guys from Stroke 9) started playing “Don’t Stop Believing” to a packed house on the deck below.  Immediately everything stopped, Josh and Drew grabbed their megaphones, and sang along to every word with everybody else onboard.  I don’t think it gets any better.

I realized today that the Sixthman family, and Rock Boaters in particular, go far beyond just yearly vacationers.  With year-long contests, endless message board conversations, and a constant desire to never grow up, this group of people has evolved into a way of life.  No matter what takes place for the other 360 days of the year, everybody reverts back to their days of youth (while those still in those days try to keep up) and forget all worries for a week. As Andy Dufresne says in the Shawshank Redemption, “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really.  Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin.’”

These guys are livin’, and I’m just glad to be a part of it.