The Kiss Cam

I went to the Lakers game on Tuesday. I went to a friend's house and we all piled into his car and made our way down there after we stopped at McDonald's. I was really excited, I was going to get a chance to see Kobe, the 3 time NBA champion, reigning MVP of the league, Olympic gold medalist - the best player in the world, and he got hurt in the 2nd quarter. The first thing I thought was, I skipped small groups to finally see Kobe play and he got hurt. All the games I watched on T.V. he was healthy, and I get to see him and he gets hurt. For $25 it was worth it. The couple of times he scored, he scored at ease. He is a great player.

During the game, the Kiss Cam was on. The camera's panned around to different couples in attendance. The first couple looked up on the monitor, saw themselves, then leaned over and kissed each other. This was the scene as the camera continued moving through couples. The audience responded with heartfelt oohs and ahhs seeing the couples in their displays of affection...then it got weird. Next, it stopped on an older, distinguished looking gentlemen. He was sitting next to, who I assume to be, his wife. She was dressed as if she just left the office, business slacks and a nice blouse. The camera zoomed in on them, he leaned over, started to close his eyes and stuck his tongue all the way out of his mouth and began to lick his wife's face. She was thoroughly embarrassed and his antics received a rousing ovation from the folks in attendance. The next husband, not to be outdone by the former, reached over and fondled his wife's breast during their kiss. I was like, hey man there's kids here, which apparently didn't cross his mind. Then a moment occurred that garnered boo's and jeers. A young man was sitting next to his 'soon to be ex' girlfriend tying his shoes. Their pictures appeared on the monitor. She looked up, saw herself and started giggling. She moved her hand, that was covering her mouth and tapped her boyfriend on the shoulder. He stopped tying his shoe and looked over at her. She pointed to the monitor and he waved. He didn't know that it was a kiss cam. She reached over grabbed his chin and leaned in to give him a kiss - just as their lips were about to touch he pulled away. Keith and I started laughing uncontrollably, booed him and the jokes started. The camera man went to another couple, another kiss, some more ooh's and ahh's then they panned back to the young couple. She wasn't smiling this time. She was pissed and he was slumped down in his chair - the audience booed him unmercilessly. My first thought was, I hope he enjoyed dating her because it's over now.

Here are some random thoughts:

Trust requires becoming humble enough to realize that you need help.

There is truth in Matthew 7:6, "Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you." Some people don't need to know what's important to you. They don't value your dream the same way you might because they aren't invested in it, the same as you are.

I want to do something great on my terms. I have no desire to live out other people's hopes and dreams for me.

I learned a valuable lesson this week, we are perceived in the same manner we imagine ourselves to be received.

If you want to fail at something, believe that you will.

Everyone needs love, even those that think they don't.

I want the freedom of ownership; the commitment to it is what scares me.