John Nichols; Racquets, Relationships, and Revelry Under the Florida Sun
Feb 13, 2024Season 1Episode 11
John Nichols
When our special guest John swapped his familiar surroundings for the sunny disposition of Florida, little did he know tennis would be his ace for connection and community. This episode serves up a delightful narrative as John recounts his evolution from casual pop tennis enthusiast to becoming an integral part of a thriving tennis fellowship. His tale isn't just one of backhands and forehands; it's a volley of experiences that underscore the pivotal role of sports in creating friendships and a sense of belonging.
Laugh along with us as John shares the secret sauce to a marriage going strong for 40 years: humor and shared experiences. Whether it's about finding love in the unexpected corridors of nursing school or switching careers under the subtle guidance of a father's influence, John's journey is a heartwarming reminder of the serendipitous turns life can take. As we navigate through his anecdotes, we uncover the richness of relationships forged on and off the tennis courts, and the life lessons served along the way.
And because love knows no season, we wrap things up with a nod to Valentine's Day, not just as a day of romance but as a continuous celebration of deep connections. John opens up about emotional milestones, from the pride of walking his daughter down the aisle to the eager anticipation of grandparenthood. If you're looking to ignite or reignite that spark in your relationship, or just enjoy a touching reflection on love's journey, let this episode be your match point.
When our special guest John swapped his familiar surroundings for the sunny disposition of Florida, little did he know tennis would be his ace for connection and community. This episode serves up a delightful narrative as John recounts his evolution from casual pop tennis enthusiast to becoming an integral part of a thriving tennis fellowship. His tale isn't just one of backhands and forehands; it's a volley of experiences that underscore the pivotal role of sports in creating friendships and a sense of belonging.
Laugh along with us as John shares the secret sauce to a marriage going strong for 40 years: humor and shared experiences. Whether it's about finding love in the unexpected corridors of nursing school or switching careers under the subtle guidance of a father's influence, John's journey is a heartwarming reminder of the serendipitous turns life can take. As we navigate through his anecdotes, we uncover the richness of relationships forged on and off the tennis courts, and the life lessons served along the way.
And because love knows no season, we wrap things up with a nod to Valentine's Day, not just as a day of romance but as a continuous celebration of deep connections. John opens up about emotional milestones, from the pride of walking his daughter down the aisle to the eager anticipation of grandparenthood. If you're looking to ignite or reignite that spark in your relationship, or just enjoy a touching reflection on love's journey, let this episode be your match point.
Speaker 1:
Let's do it, you always make me laugh when I'm starting this. Welcome to Dirty Tennis, clean Living, the podcast where we talk a little dirty, we eat a little healthy laugh and we learn together the lighter side of tennis. It's fun. I'm Ashley, I'm Dina, I'm.
Speaker 3:
Jules, I'm John Welcome to the show.
Speaker 1:
Welcome to the show John. Welcome to the show John.
Speaker 3:
Really happy to be here. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:
You've lived in Florida full time. For how long?
Speaker 3:
It'll be. It was two years in November, so oh, wow, oh, that's.
Speaker 1:
That's reasonably recent yeah.
Speaker 3:
Now we've owned for 23 years.
Speaker 1:
Wow, you own at XeoX for 23 years.
Speaker 3:
Yep, I was. You've seen it all, yeah, so you have seen it all, I know.
Speaker 2:
Did you do any of the events before you were here full time?
Speaker 3:
We did not. We pretty much came. We were not tennis players. You know we enjoyed the area, we enjoyed Vero Beach and the amenities here, but we're not, we were not plugged in socially.
Speaker 1:
Right, right.
Speaker 3:
And that's been the biggest and most enjoyable piece is the social aspect and the support and the people. Yep, we've been great friends here.
Speaker 2:
How did you step into the social act?
Speaker 3:
What we did was we started to play some pop tennis because we were so right. We were the type of tennis players that would go over the fence and I remember our first summer. We get excited if we found a lost ball. We add it to our to our collection. That's how new we were to tennis.
Speaker 3:
Wow, we get excited about hey, this ball looks pretty good and it went in the bag, that's great. And so we, we did the pop tennis thing. That's how sad it was. Even today I'm like, I'm like that with golf balls, but I'm not picking up, you know ugly tennis balls anymore.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 3:
So we did pop tennis because we knew we could at least do that. And that's where the whole social thing. And then we started taking some lessons and it really took off from there.
Speaker 1:
And pop tennis is member run and that's kudos to members like Richard who run here at our club.
Speaker 3:
runs that program and Susan, that's 20 or 25 hours a week. Right.
Speaker 1:
That's a lot of dedication to the wellbeing.
Speaker 3:
I know.
Speaker 1:
Of our social, our community.
Speaker 2:
Actually you do that too. Yeah, you do yeah.
Speaker 1:
In a different. Well, thank you. I think it's really important because it's a wonderful segue into deciding. Do I want to go the full distance for tennis? Do I want to invest? Because you really have to invest a lot more in tennis.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
If you, if you want to play and pop, you kind of walk on and there you are.
Speaker 2:
So you walked on. Okay, so let's continue the story. So you walked on to pop tent and that was your foray into the social life here.
Speaker 3:
And then ultimately saying, okay, we'll get a branch out to tennis, and it was really just meeting people and that just went from one thing to the one person.
Speaker 2:
Wow To tennis.
Speaker 3:
It really was.
Speaker 2:
Yes, awesome, great make up.
Speaker 3:
I'm sure it would have been through mixers or whatnot. We did some of that, but I don't know that it would.
Speaker 1:
I have to say there is something unique about tennis there, really is.
Speaker 2:
We're finding that commonality in many, many interviews.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, people who had never played.
Speaker 2:
And then was it Deb that said that she wanted to get her money's worth.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, they renovated the courts. Expensive CO's courts yeah.
Speaker 3:
My wife was just excited about conquering one of her fears. She never did anything athletic her entire life.
Speaker 1:
You're kidding, she is a lovely player.
Speaker 3:
She was a fitness instructor, she did all that stuff. So that was you know why she's in great shape. But she never really played a game with you know, like tennis or that type of stuff. Competitive sport, exactly, and so matter of fact, I remember the first time we had a tennis match with another couple. She turned to me and says why am I so nervous?
Speaker 1:
Oh, that's so cute, and.
Speaker 3:
I said welcome to competition Wow. You know, and so it was, and she's addicted to it now. You know she loves the game.
Speaker 2:
She just seems like someone really likes challenges too. Is that kind of?
Speaker 3:
her vibe. Yeah, she's married to me. It's a huge challenge.
Speaker 2:
So how long have you been married?
Speaker 3:
40 years 40 years, 40 years in October.
Speaker 1:
Congratulations. Now were you college sweethearts.
Speaker 3:
It was college. Yes, we both met back in Providence, rhode Island. We're both nursing students at the Rhode Island.
Speaker 2:
College.
Speaker 3:
We were commuters and we decided that I didn't realize what town she was from. She was the next town over, and so it was her friend that suggested we start to commute together. Oh, that's great, and so we ditched her friend shortly thereafter and started commuting, just her and I.
Speaker 1:
And that's how it began, and so that's how we all voted, do you remember? Which one of you said I love you. I always love to ask couples that have been married for a long time. That's interesting to me because that's a big moment, but then you move, so much of life comes after that moment, but that's a really big.
Speaker 2:
I love you. I remember that part. Well, that's it.
Speaker 3:
She asked you first I would say it was probably me, because I was afraid of losing her.
Speaker 2:
Oh, I kind of felt that we're getting some insight.
Speaker 3:
now, well, to the male psyche, the way I looked at whenever I was going to ask someone out. This might have to get edited out.
Speaker 1:
That's Deanna's favorite phrase.
Speaker 3:
I would always ask what's your current boyfriend like? And well, how tall is he? And he was shorter than her and I said I got this.
Speaker 2:
I can pull this off, I can win this.
Speaker 3:
My confidence went through the roof and you made your move. Now being in it, there was only seven guys in the whole 132% nursing program. So an average guy like me that can make people laugh. I had a shot.
Speaker 2:
Is that why you chose nursing? Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:
Is that why what?
Speaker 1:
You chose nursing the ratio of men to women.
Speaker 3:
No, no, no, that's no. I was wanting to be an EMT. Okay, you know, matter of fact, my father, when I was a 11 year old kid, unfortunately he died. I have a twin brother and when my father passed away, when we were 12, that last year of life, he said he looked at my twin brother and I and I remember the moment he says and he was a steam fritter. So he was building schools in the 60s and there was a lot of schools being built with the baby boom and he turned to us and we knew he was pretty sick and he said you guys need to be engineers and, as an 11-year-old, an engineer drove a train.
Speaker 2:
Yeah right.
Speaker 3:
So my brother and I later went. I'm not driving, no frigging train oh, that's cute. And I told that joke at my daughter's wedding silence.
Speaker 1:
Nobody got it. Nobody got it that engineers drive trains.
Speaker 3:
But when you're of my age, that's what you think of an engineer, when you're an 11-year-old kid. So anyway, that's how it all, how I became a nurse. I didn't have the brains to be an engineer. I struggled a little bit in algebra so I knew I could get through a nursing program.
Speaker 1:
The EQ of nursing though.
Speaker 3:
But it all changed. It evolved from there. I went into healthcare information technology, helped start a small consulting firm and it all evolved. And it was very blessed in my 40s to have a good opportunity that came our way.
Speaker 1:
But technology is the modern engineering that is engineering. So you did follow what your father asked you to do.
Speaker 3:
Never heard of put that way, but that is.
Speaker 1:
That is an engineering category, it's not interesting, but you took a small detour to meet the love of your life so you could bring her on the journey with you.
Speaker 3:
Here's one weird story about that whole meeting of her. I did not do well in microbiology, so I was set back one semester.
Speaker 1:
Not the full year only one semester.
Speaker 3:
I would not have met her if I didn't have that set back.
Speaker 1:
Somebody had a plan.
Speaker 3:
She brings that up.
Speaker 1:
She was meant to be for you.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, that was a low point in my life. I'm like I don't know if I can get through this program. Luckily, my next microteacher was a little less weeding out.
Speaker 2:
Right a little less vigorous and now you're the love expert.
Speaker 1:
Your wife said something funny on the court one day. What?
Speaker 3:
did?
Speaker 1:
she say she said about and I hope I'm allowed to say this, but she was so funny we were talking about hair. I think my hair was especially huge that day and so it brought up a whole conversation and her hair is just pin straight and beautiful and just holds the shape super nice, I don't like her sometimes I know it's tough to be on the court with her.
Speaker 1:
So she was saying well, once upon a time she got a perm and she said that when she was dating you, john, and she said it was such an awful perm she thought you would break up with her. It was over forever because of a perm. Do you remember the perm?
Speaker 3:
I do remember the perm and it was really bad. But our relationship at that time went a little deeper than hair.
Speaker 1:
Well, she apparently was worried at that moment.
Speaker 3:
If it was really on, I probably would have said no, that's not gonna work for me, but I do remember it well, and she was devastated by that Was she, yeah, by that. We were probably just going through a rough patch. I don't know what it was, so she may have associated it. It's my hair. Oh, got it. I don't know.
Speaker 1:
Maybe I'm speaking out of court here or there, but that's the best part You're married 40 years. The things that are so huge in the beginning of a relationship and all three of you are married. As we know, I'm not yet married. Eventually, Total suck crickets Well.
Speaker 2:
I mean silence, but it brings up a good point with John, because he's mentioned humor, and that's something that you do really well.
Speaker 3:
And you don't keep everybody laughing. It's almost to a point where Kathy will say can you just turn it off once in a while?
Speaker 1:
I thought, you were going to say that's the key to a good mood.
Speaker 3:
No, it's something I enjoy making people laugh. I find humor in life, the elements of life.
Speaker 3:
There's a lot to work with and I know that the Golden Bachelor was a topic that we may get to. I found that the humor in this recent one was kind of off the charts because these were real people. But the funny part was, and I brought this up in mixed company and someone said where's your man card? And I said what I should have said was I left that in the man cave back in the 80s. Where are you? We're still asking for man cards.
Speaker 2:
I love it. I knew we had to have this guy.
Speaker 1:
That's funny.
Speaker 2:
I never heard that, because I think that only happens in male company and I get it, because it happened multiple times.
Speaker 3:
Good friends of mine, Where's your man card? It's like. Well, like I said, I found humor Plus.
Speaker 1:
I'm spending time with my wife.
Speaker 3:
When we go to separate rooms on a Thursday night I'm watching a football game and she's watching something in the other room to spend a little bit of time together. I spend probably 15% more time with her when we have these types of things we're watching together. It makes a big difference because we're laughing at it and then there's material in there I can use later.
Speaker 1:
Well, that's the key.
Speaker 3:
When the Golden Bachelor Gary came off the limo. Do you have any trouble finding the place? That is an age discrimination joke. That is so old. He came out of a limo with a driver, not a camera, with a map on his lap. What is going on?
Speaker 1:
Does it change? I mean, is the dance of love different?
Speaker 3:
It is different. And if you look at the actual, the women on the show, they've lived life.
Speaker 3:
The ups and downs of life A lot of years. Most of these women were probably almost touching 70. And they were real. If you look at the contestants that are in their 20s and the other shows the non-golden shows Right, they're just, they're more into. How many Instagram followers can I get out of this PR stunt? And there's a lot of them fighting. These women did everything that older women do and make them genuine. They were cooking meatballs during the show and they were complaining about the side effects of someone putting too much garlic in those meatballs.
Speaker 2:
That was hilarious, which led to them farting. The one lady, yeah, and she was upset because no one else was farting.
Speaker 3:
Yeah that was funny. Another example was when they get tired, they would just they would fall asleep, I mean so funny.
Speaker 2:
Did you see the joke about how they all were made to stand in heels while they waited for the rose and they were like we need chairs. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 3:
So my point is they were genuine, they were real, they lived a lot of life and they were just real people and it was a breath of fresh air. And then, even after the show, I think many of them were friends with each other and they've got lifelong friends. I'm not sure that happens with 20 year olds.
Speaker 2:
What is the first thing you're doing in the morning? Are you giving your wife a kiss? Are you looking at your phone? What's the priority? We're both looking at our phones. We're looking at our phones Planning the day.
Speaker 3:
Going to our calendars, I can't believe we have calendars. I'm retired and I have to see if I'm available.
Speaker 1:
Right, it was hard to get you on a show. You're so busy. Florida is busy.
Speaker 3:
I know. I mean it kind of makes sense, but I don't know. I think we both said the other day we want to get back to that two years ago. When we drove in, it was Thanksgiving night. Nothing was open. We hadn't eaten anything since the Waffle House earlier that day that was. Thanksgiving lunch or dinner was Waffle House. Amazing operation, by the way, but that's a whole nother podcast yeah right.
Speaker 3:
And so we drove in and there was still a little bit of twilight, and I look over and there's a cow with an egret on his back.
Speaker 1:
Oh funny.
Speaker 3:
And I said we're not in Kansas anymore.
Speaker 2:
Definitely not again.
Speaker 3:
It was so cool to see that that's so fun. And we ended up having. She was upset. We couldn't find a place. Even Olive Garden was closed. So, we went to Wawa. I had a hot dog at Wawa and she had. Perfect Morning and yeah it was late, nothing was. It was Thanksgiving evening.
Speaker 1:
So it was after 5.30 PM in Florida and everything was closed. Go to get it.
Speaker 3:
So, anyway, my point was we want to get back to how much fun that was and we sort of lost our way a little bit in the last couple of years. But we both realized that.
Speaker 1:
But I think a part of that is also you're building new community and you're doing it together, so you each are taking different parts. And then there are parts you have to do together and maybe at the moment you feel you've built your real community base, you're able to perhaps settle in a little bit. It does take work to build a community. It's work.
Speaker 3:
It's a great point, cause some of that is backfilling for what we had when it was just the two of us and we plugged in socially, and she brought that up recently. She said well, a lot of what we have now, as far as friends are providing a lot of that support, companionship, whatever that we sort of. It was just her and I when we first pulled in here two years ago.
Speaker 1:
If there is such a thing as perfect in a relationship, does that mean you've stopped learning and stopped trying new things and stopped having adventures? Because the only way you achieve perfection is an aesthetic environment. It's absolutely flat.
Speaker 1:
And the only way you grow in the relationship is to bring some a new ingredient in, whatever that is, whether it's a huge trip around the world or a new car or a you know, or tennis something that just and that's a positive for every relationship that grows, because think of the people who are like I. Just, you know, I don't want to learn, I'm done.
Speaker 3:
I don't want to learn anything new. That's another great piece of advice. You have to keep developing yourself, moving forward and trying new things, whatever that is. I mean they may not be as exciting as learning how to play tennis, but you know, maybe it's taking a cooking class somewhere. You know, and who knows?
Speaker 2:
what that is Dance lesson right, Exactly yeah.
Speaker 3:
And just extending yourself, constantly reaching.
Speaker 1:
Hold hands and ask each other pull out one of those silly get to know you games and ask each other 10 silly questions. I mean.
Speaker 3:
I love doing that.
Speaker 1:
It's fun, Yep great question.
Speaker 3:
That's a great way to bring people together.
Speaker 1:
So what advice would you give as a man who's married 40 years, who now has children who are married, so you've watched their journey of love through a whole different generation? What advice do you give to listeners who want a long-term, healthy, loving relationship, where you know the guy says sure, I'll watch the Bachelor Baby, because it's time with you, right.
Speaker 3:
Well, I've actually thought about that, expecting that it would come up. The advice I would give is not only listen, but be emotionally available. I think we're all told that guys really don't. He has evolved, you guys, Really guys don't do a good job listening, but it goes beyond that and I challenge people to, and I fail at this miserably. My wife says don't make some stuff up that. You're not Very clear, you know. So I don't want you guys thinking that I've got all this magic in it.
Speaker 1:
I'd say a 40-year happy marriage is some magic.
Speaker 3:
there, john, I fail miserably at a lot of this stuff often, and so what I say is to be emotionally available, listen and then, when she's talking about a topic, bring up a question to finish it, not just go. Yeah, that's a good idea, move on.
Speaker 1:
Oh, that's interesting.
Speaker 3:
Dig a little deeper and be available as much as you can. I love that, and I know we're all so distracted. The other thing I think is important is to be present. We are so. That's why we all love tennis, because when you play tennis when you play golf?
Speaker 1:
you have to be present, you have to be in the moment.
Speaker 3:
Yes, and I think that's so important. The two things were surrounded by depression, which is the past, and anxiety, which is the future. Get in the middle of those two.
Speaker 2:
I'll say that all the time. Oh, my chills always like that I've heard.
Speaker 3:
My point is that stay present. And then the other advice that I would give is it's always it's work in progress If you think your relationship is going to be perfect. There's no such thing. It's constant work in progress. Admit you made a mistake, move past it quickly. The worst thing you can do is not talk to each other. I wanted to talk about Valentine's Day, yes, because I think a lot of men especially feel that it I get a card, I get roses, I get chocolate, we go to dinner.
Speaker 3:
And then my wife, when I was telling her this the other day, she said earlier today and she said and then they all expect sex at the end of the night, I think that's required. I put in my deposit oh my God, so it's like expected, pay to play. And so I think it's important during Valentine's Day that when you're together at dinner, you're not bringing up. Hey, the portfolio was up pretty good today, oh right, or you know?
Speaker 2:
this is what's going on in the golfing world. Or here's what's going on with your kids.
Speaker 1:
Right right.
Speaker 2:
Exactly Like no business.
Speaker 3:
Just ask some questions that maybe revisit the past. What did you find lovable in me and what did I find lovable in you 40 years ago? Right, and is that still there? If it's not, it probably is. I think she liked my sense of humor. She always brings up the fact that it was a snowy night. No, I'm not going there. All I did was I dropped her off at her home, uh-huh.
Speaker 3:
And she had six inches of snow on her car, uh-oh, and I took my snow brush out of my car and I cleared off her car. She was working the next morning.
Speaker 1:
She brings it up today, see we have a fight.
Speaker 3:
She says where's the guy that brushed the snow?
Speaker 1:
Oh, you set your own standard, John.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, and luckily there's no snow here to deal with.
Speaker 1:
You're so lucky, but anyway, that's important.
Speaker 3:
What brought you together? Would you find interesting whatever about each other and go a little deeper, because you just can't go into dinner, the basic plan that you have every night, you know.
Speaker 1:
Right, because it isn't every night.
Speaker 3:
It's not, it's kind of a special day.
Speaker 1:
What's it like walking your daughter down the aisle? What kind of moment is?
Speaker 3:
that Good question. When I we had a wedding my daughter Kelly, in outside in Jamestown, which is right outside of Newport, beautiful setting and it was odd because there was a steep hill we had to walk down. It was an outdoor wedding, it was a beautiful day. And we both said to each other the entire time just don't fall Right.
Speaker 3:
Just don't fall no-transcript, a framed photo of the two of us walking down that hill and she said do you remember what was going through our head? And she'll never forget it. And it was sort of a metaphor for life, right, that holding each other up and our song to dance to was I'll Be Around. So it was sort of all tied together.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 3:
And it was a pretty cool.
Speaker 1:
But it's a big moment. That is a big moment.
Speaker 3:
You're kind of nervous and it's really hard to get absorbed in them whole moment. I think that hit me when they were sharing their vows and that's when it hit me that this was all kind of unfolded.
Speaker 1:
It was real. It was real, it's happening. Yeah, that's wonderful yeah.
Speaker 3:
It was.
Speaker 2:
I love that song.
Speaker 3:
What a great song.
Speaker 1:
I know 40 years together, there are still things you have to learn about each other, and that's wonderful. That's the magic of the human spirit, and the human heart. Yes, and there are things you can't learn until the grandbaby's come, and then that's going to open a whole part of you that's been waiting all this time and it's going to open.
Speaker 3:
I know I literally have all these things planned. We will. Kathy and I will be taking a walk and I'm saying, well, that over there will be a secret garden someday. She will be walking up. I said, yeah, we're going to go and we're going to find coins in there with my granddaughter or grandson. So have all these plans. So cute they're going to catch their first fish with me. They're going to do all these things that I've been planning and I just hope I'm well enough and above ground to treat.
Speaker 1:
The fun thing is, your wife knows that man's in there, but she hasn't met him yet, I know. And so how exciting is that for her to get to meet you, the grandpa? Yeah, because she knows he's in there.
Speaker 2:
Well, I was just going to say that you seem like such an evolved person.
Speaker 3:
Yes, we're a guy, you're just like very involved, I think how you added that we're a guy.
Speaker 2:
Well, OK.
Speaker 3:
That's very true, though.
Speaker 2:
You know, we can totally edit this out again.
Speaker 3:
No, we're not editing it out. Guys are fairly primitive and I know how we operate. Well, I was just wondering how do you operate?
Speaker 2:
Is it because you had daughters Do?
Speaker 3:
you think that you've?
Speaker 2:
grown because of having your girls around.
Speaker 3:
I don't know. I just think it's more of if you want to have a good relationship, you better evolve, Because there are people who just coexist.
Speaker 1:
Right, a lot of the joy in that, yeah.
Speaker 3:
And another piece of advice is there was a period in life that was just a grind with the kids and all the expenses and everything going on and it's like, oh my God, is this all there is to life?
Speaker 3:
Right, once we got past that, I call this our time. It's obviously not my branded thing. This is where we're at, and it's a whole new beginning, so to speak. You know, if you want to take advantage of that, if you don't want to, then you may end up in a kind of a loveless relationship which is pretty sad I'm splitting.
Speaker 1:
There's a song Trace Ackens, the country western singer it sings about. It's a plumber, I think, who goes into a home and there's a young mother and the babies are crying and everything's a mess and the water's out and just everything's happening at one time and she's so upset and he turns to her and he says you're going to miss this. Wow, right, wow, one day they'll grow up and they'll be gone and there'll be no noise and there'll be no chaos and there'll be no trouble, and you're going to miss this.
Speaker 1:
Wow I think that's true, but I hope that people continue forward, carry that into the next phase of life, which is all they experience, isn't?
Speaker 3:
that what they say? Yeah, I mean to your point. If I'm in an airport, we're both in an airport and I look over to a young couple with the chaos of a couple of children trying to get on a plane and all that. We've all done that and sometimes I'll be sort of like that goofy person on the progressive commercial.
Speaker 1:
I would walk up to them and say it really does get easier Enjoy this You're going to blink your eyes and they're going to be 30 years old. Good for you, John's. Like good times, I remember this day. Good times, John. You might have a little experience with the body part deciding to do something different on the tennis court.
Speaker 3:
Oh, because of the torn Achilles.
Speaker 1:
Yes, that would be the one.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, 11 months ago most of you know this I tore my Achilles during a team practice and it was an interesting moment because I knew it right away he did. I've had a chronically sore right Achilles and my physician said when it's sore it's telling you something, so you stay off it, boot it, do whatever you have to do.
Speaker 3:
I continue to play through the soreness oh come on, tendinitis turns into tendinosis, which means it's going to go, and it blew. And so surgery. Two days later. The thing that was remarkable was the night it happened. The word get out and I received 30, 40 text, voicemails, some phone calls, and Kathy and I laid in bed that night and we were both overwhelmed by the support.
Speaker 1:
You know you want to talk about love.
Speaker 3:
Maybe that's the topic today.
Speaker 1:
It is the topic Love, the love that came from this community brought us to tears.
Speaker 3:
Instead of having a pity party lying in bed because this happened to me and I'm gonna be down for a year or whatever, we just laid there and said we are so blessed.
Speaker 1:
It was the weirdest moment. That was a awesome moment. Yeah, it was. Is this that kind of community?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, she brought that up today. She said make sure you bring that up, it's relevant.
Speaker 1:
So One thing that we'd talked to our head pro about you seem receptive to, but I guess they just haven't done it is it's a 8.15 in the morning, everybody on court, one and stretch and do a pro-led stretch for 10 minutes, 12 minutes before everybody goes to their.
Speaker 1:
I've never encountered that I mean, I don't know why we don't, because it's in the club's best interest that everyone is at maximum health and we're not always. We might be in. All right, I'm gonna stretch, and then we see four of our good friends and we're catching up on the night before.
Speaker 2:
I've never. That's a great point, and every other sport they seem to do that.
Speaker 1:
You have a warm-up, yes, and it's pro or coach-led and it would be eight for everybody. It's different if you're playing at 10 o'clock but if you're the first round out in the morning or there may be people walking their dogs or Alpha-Walk who just wanna come and stretch for just 10, 12 minutes.
Speaker 3:
It's a great idea. Not enough, especially males. We just don't stretch enough. We're only as good as your connective tissue is. Very true, and you see some people around here.
Speaker 1:
You can tell that they stretch and they're you know, yeah well we wanna be Harry Hill, except female 89, turning 90 in April and swimming, playing tennis, biking, going to karaoke night with his lady love. I mean, we wanna be in that category.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, he really puts the time in them, he does. He's been in your last podcast. And then I thought about he starts his day at 5, 5.30. He's in the pool before I'm out of bed, so I'd love to be like Harry Hill, I really have to step up my game. Yeah, he's not checking his phone like every time he's in the morning, he's getting right into business.
Speaker 2:
You know how much time you can waste in the morning on the phone? Oh my God, it's always.
Speaker 1:
Oh my gosh, it's outrageous. Once my hand falls asleep from being in a weird position trying to text for like a hour and a half and I get everything answered because I'm so snug, especially when it's a little bit chilly. In Florida, quote unquote winter it's a little chilly where you know you need a little. It's chilly today.
Speaker 2:
I was underdressed.
Speaker 1:
It's a little chilly, but I like that. I like it at a time when you don't need the heater, the air conditioning that's my favorite time of year, wherever I am, because it's the perfect temperature.
Speaker 3:
You can open up the sliders and just let the air come through. Those days are rare.
Speaker 1:
So, john, since this is our Valentine's Day show, it's all about love and talking about relationships and the bachelor and, of course, my single status, which continues on this journey, I wonder if you would be willing to close out the show today with a little special, little love note to your wife.
Speaker 2:
Oh, wow, wow, Wow. Is that in your notes?
Speaker 3:
I did believe it or not I did actually at one time wrote a poem for her.
Speaker 1:
You did. I gave her this poem.
Speaker 3:
It was corny, it was goofy, I even. It's adorable. She may still have it. So, cathy, if you're listening.
Speaker 2:
She will.
Speaker 3:
I appreciate everything that you've done. You've tolerated me. The thing that I find most lovable about you is your care for other people, your concern and what you do for them, above and beyond anything in your life or my life. And you expect a lot out of me and I fall short really, really badly most of the time. But I'll keep trying and I love you more than life itself. Happy Valentine's Day.
This was fun. This was fun. Yay, a lot of fun. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear from the community.
Speaker 2:
Please, we will not return to me. I'm not returning. I'm not returning. We love having men on the podcast. Absolutely, it's really awesome. It is and off the podcast. Thank you, guys. Whoops we're going to edit that out. No, we're not. Happy Valentine's Day. Everyone Happy Valentine's, Bye-bye.
Speaker 1:
Remember nothing you hear on the Dirty Tennis podcast is intended as medical or expert advice.
Speaker 2:
Not for your kitchen.
Speaker 1:
Not for your body and not for your bedroom. We are here for entertainment purposes only.
Speaker 2:
We are not medical doctors and nothing said on this podcast should be considered medical advice. Please consult with your health care team before making changes to your diet and lifestyle.