July 12, 2023 – A.S.P.N on The Hill

It was probably the day I met up with Mr. Travis Leath in my Colorado Avalanche jersey that someone in Carroll County would have noticed one of the Hockey 🏒 jerseys that I was wearing and I didn’t try to explain out the process that day because we already knew each other.

In Louisville, I was texting with Ed the night 🌙 before we were to meet for the first time. I told him that I would be easy to spot in a room with 10,000+ people in it because I was pretty sure I would be the only one wearing a Hockey Jersey.

The jersey (all 32 were picked up in the actual home market of the team) is designed to provoke a positive conversation with a fellow kind person that might not otherwise be comfortable speaking to a stranger. During my 3+ mile hike 🚶‍♂️ in the Smokey Mountain ⛰ I enjoyed three of those moments. Here’s the short version of each.

1 – Bill is from Tampa, Florida where the Lightning play their hockey and we ended up spending 10-15 minutes discussing various aspects of life before he had to head out for his much longer hike.

2 – A couple started a conversation about how much they 💘 hockey and were happy to share their story about the fact that their local team back home 🏡 had just won 🏆 their league Championship. At the end of a very pleasant brief conversation with them it turns out that they’re from just outside Roanoke.

3 – A younger couple that obviously weren’t having their best moment and the man says to the woman “I know you think I have issues but at least I’m not the dumb *** wearing a Hockey Jersey on a Hot Summer Day. In a quick second their tension was broken and they were sharing a laugh, who cares if it was at might expense.

Kris Richardson sent me to Kentucky and it might have been to get me out of his hair for a while. But I know that I’m better for it from the people that I met plus spending time with people that I already knew! Going to toss in some pictures 📷 from the Hike.