Completely in the Dark

Dad was that rarest of men: He didn’t watch ballgames or follow sports teams. He just wasn’t into it.

In fact I was always somewhat amused to be around when he was asked what, for example, he thought of the “Vikes’ chances for the Super Bowl.”

Dad didn’t have a prediction, but did his best to politely respond. The only competitive bone in his body was against himself and what he could achieve.

Likely taking a lead from Pop, I decided it was past due that I competed with myself—which in high school meant joining track.

Not entirely sure how that began, given my normally bookish habits. I’ve always been somewhat kinetically challenged, a tendency toward clumsiness.

So, sprinting didn’t feel right and long-distance running was too rigorous. Middle distance had the Goldilocks factor—just right.

The above photo, from the ’78 yearbook, shows junior Pat McGinnis running in a…