The 67 Debacle
James Pykonen
©
Copyright 2020 by James Pykonen
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In
1999, I enrolled in a two year business course with on of the classes
on Economics which I knew nor understood little. However, I
thought the course would be easier than it turned out to be.
The following story is about the journey I took over a course of 10
weeks, the struggle to comprehend the subject and matter and how help
arrived on time from an unexpected source.
June,
1999 6pm. A warm evening breeze ruffles the state flag atop the
Western Business College building in downtown Portland, Oregon; I
make my way into the classroom taking a seat amongst other students
as Economics instructor, Mr. Bartlett, looking disheveled as ever,
shuffles papers about his desk then begins tonight's lecture with an
announcement, “This evening I am going to talk about NAFTA and
Supply and Demand concluding with a list of students who will not
have to take the final exam. OK, any questions,” Bartlett
pauses. Tonight marks a first as all 24 of us are in attendance not
so much as to learn but to find out who will be exempt from the final
exam. Seeing no hands he continues, “Good, so NAFTA stands
for...”
When
the course began ten weeks early, Mr. Bartlett, projecting his voice
with lawyer’s precision, informs us, “...those students
that score 90% or better on six of the ten weekly tests will be
excused from taking the final exam.” To many, Economics is no
more interesting than watching barley grow however, the challenge, an
extraordinary goal, caught our attention I mean, who wouldn't want to
escape the exam.
Completing
the lecture, “OK, that covers the basics of NAFTA and Supply
and Demand but before continuing,” Mr. Bartlett pauses, for he
knows what we all want to hear, then stresses, “are there any
questions on the material covered tonight?”
Taking
a moment to survey the class he sees no hands raised then begins to
go down the list we lean forward in collective thought, “Very
well those students not having to take the final exam are...” some
fists clinch, “yeses!” others release tension with
sighs, “whew!” Anticipation mounts, as he goes on I
replay the past ten weeks leading up to tonight, which would fit
nicely into a stock market graph tracking gains and losses, and how
an electrified game of ice hockey played a crucial role.
Growing
up in the 1960’s near Detroit, Michigan I tuned in to the CBC
(Canadian Broadcast Company) out of Windsor, Ontario on Saturday
nights to watch hockey greats: Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, Bobby Orr,
Stan Makita, Gordie Howe, Gerry Cheevers, and Yvan Cournoyer (to name
a few) bump, slash, fight, and score their way across 17” of
black and white excitement not to mention playing table hockey with
family and friends. Today, the sport is like comfort food. The
Economics course I signed up for began in April 1999 coinciding with
hockey’s playoffs for the coveted Stanley Cup trophy; my team,
the Detroit Red Wings, was eliminated early in the playoffs but no
matter who wins I love watching the trophy presentation as grown men,
tough athletes with bearded mugs loft the Cup above their heads,
elated, while fans go crazy with jubilation.
Through
the first three weeks ardent notes and dedicated study produce test
results of 95, 90, and 90%, confidence in success is high. Then, as
if some being perched on my shoulder had whispered into my ear, I
began to doubt my understanding of Economic topics like Supply and
Demand, the U.S. Economy, and the Circular Flow Model resulting in
scores of 85,80, 80 and an all time low 67% over the next four exams.
Damocles Sword swayed above I felt like a team needing to win three
straight games to move on in the playoffs as taking the final exam
loomed large. I turn to a favorite distraction, hockey.
So
much action happens in the game what with players racing from one end
of the ice rink to the other, stopping on a dime, changing
directions, fights, and goals all of this on a thin piece of sharp
metal. Thank goodness for VCRs (Video Cassette Recorders) for this
technical wonder of the 80s gave me a means to record Stanley Cup
games and, albeit for just a few hours, escape reality and it was
while watching one of these games that, in an unguarded moment, a
phenomenal occurrence took place. The New Jersey Devils and the
defending cup champs Dallas Stars were the only two teams remaining
out of the 16 vying for Lord Stanley’s cup when the playoffs
began in April. With the Devils holding a three games to one lead in
the best of seven series I could relate to the precipice Dallas hung
over.
New
Jersey hounded Dallas relentlessly checking players off the puck
mid-rink, smashing Dallas players into the corner boards, side
boards, behind the goalies net, and effectively keeping them off
balance so with one more win the Devils could dethrone the Stars and
capture the Cup. Unfortunately, there was an Economics class the
night game five was on, so, not really interested in the game
itself, I set the video recorder in hopes of seeing the Stanley Cup
presentation. Arriving home from school I turn on the TV and much to
my elation found the game still undetermined and
deadlocked at
0-0 through three 20 minute periods and two 20 minute overtime
periods with a third just beginning, I ignore previously recorded
programming. Players on both teams, exhausted, fight to stay alive,
until the six minute and twenty one second mark of the third overtime
period.
From
the left wing Mike Madono of the Dallas Stars skates fast and hard to
the New Jersey net while Stars teammate Brett Hull, on the right
wing, collects the puck and, knowing Madono’s intent, fires it
at the goal to which New Jersey goaltender Martain Brodeur defends.
Just as Madono reaches the net so too does the puck which neatly
deflects off Madono’s extended stick and between Brodeur’s
legs.
Madono
is mobbed by exuberant teammates as if they’d just won the
championship instead,
though,
the win extended
Dallas’
season one more game, one more opportunity to defend their
championship. Brodeur
stood in
front of the net
motionless still trying to comprehend what
just happened as did his teammates. The
favored Dallas Stars, having
been outplayed by New
Jersey throughout the first four games, looked deep within
themselves, didn’t like what they saw and rose to the occasion
with a combination of doggedness
and grit. As I watch the jubilation of
weary athletes
celebrate, their
self-will and pluck
transfers
from that ice
rink in New
Jersey to this fan in Portland,
can I
too could
come from behind to
win even if just one game or
test at a
time.
Invigorated,
note taking
organization,
writing
assignments, and
study
time take
on new meaning resulting
in,
on the
first exam after the 67 debacle,
a score of
90%, the second 100%, and the final before the final 92%
accomplishing the goal of six out of ten tests above
90 as set forth at the beginning of the semester by
Mr. Bartlett.
I received
no trophy to parade around an ice rink in front of adoring fans yet,
just as
grand, the
belief in myself and what
hard work and tenacity can
accomplish.
A
smile is the only evidence to hearing my name called by Mr. Bartlett,
inward my heart pumps adrenaline, clinched fists
thrust into the air and I am mobbed by fellow students, “You
did it Jim, you did it,” they shout as they carry me around the
room on their shoulders.
Dallas
lost game six and the championship to New Jersey thus being
dethroned; Mike Madono and teammates will never known what their
heroics in that game five did for me, turning near disaster into
success. Never give up until the final seconds tick off the clock
and the whistle blows, keep moving forward help sometimes hits you in
unguarded moments. Oh what a glorious feeling victory!
My
name is Jim Pykonen I was born in 1958 and raised in St. Clair
Shores, Michigan (near Detroit). I am a baby boomer.
I
am also a late bloomer having stumbled around, sort of, aimlessly but
writing down bits and pieces of life events I guess to etch the event
in memory kind of like the student that rewrites notes in order to
better understand and recall. Not until at a friend's Christmas party
in 1994 did the wheels of writing truly began turning, I started
journaling with meaning and daily, took a few writing courses, and in
2013 started a blog in order to showcase my writings and in 2016
writings became more passionate.
I
love the process of writing from beginning to end, the frustration,
feeling defeated than snatching victory out of the jaws of that
defeat. Research invigorates.
Currently,
I live Eugene, Oregon working for a medical transit company and write
in my spare time.
(Unless
you
type
the
author's name
in
the subject
line
of the message
we
won't know where to send it.)
Another story by James
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