Wednesday, May 07, 2008

 

Penny got "called up"

If you were to ask Penny her favorite Macon Hockey players, there wouldn't even be a moments hesitation. She liked most of the goalies (Brian Elder, Chris Madden, Jean-Ian Filiatrault, etc) but her real love was the tough guys like Phil Valk, Jason Renard, Andrew Rodgers, Chris Waltz, Mike Payne, and Andrew Katzberg.
I think Penny's preference for players really did reflect her personality. She liked the goalies, the players you depend on from start to finish. Your last line of defense. She hated, however, when the goalie would leave his net to go chase down a loose puck (as Steve Vezina was fond of doing). I suppose Penny saw it as abandoning your post or forgetting what you job really is. Penny never abandoned her post and never forgot her job. She was the backbone of the department and everyone depended on her from start to finish.
Her preference for the "bad boys" might seem out of place if you knew Penny. Often players like Valk and Renard are thought of as "Goons." Players who only fight. This is, of course, not their real job. In hockey the correct term is "Enforcer." Once you understand the job, you can see that, in a way, Penny was also an enforcer.
The enforcer's job is actually quite simple:
  • Protect the little guy.
  • Make sure everyone is playing fair.
  • If the team (or the crowd) is down and out, give them a reason to get up and get back into the game.
It was well known on and off the ice that if you hit Todd MacIsaac, at some point before the night was over, Richie Walcott would hit you harder. If you roughed up Jocelyn Langlois, Jason Renard would rough you up. I heard one player from the opposing team describe when he hit (5' 5") David Deeves a little too high and a little too hard one night. He said once he realized who he'd hit, he just stood there waiting. He didn't have to turn around to know that Tom Wilson was coming after him and it was going to hurt.
And enforcer is like a police officer and a cheer leader all at once. Looking back on it, Penny was sort of the enforcer for the Computer Science Department. Not that she'd drop the gloves and pummel students who were getting out of control. Penny was always looking out for the students. She also protected the faculty, though some would never admit it. She made sure everyone played fair. And when times got rough and people got down, you could ALWAYS count on Penny to say or do something to lift their spirits and get them back in the game.
I suppose God's hockey team is in the playoffs right now. It is that time of year. And maybe his team is down a bit, or maybe someone is taking liberties with his star player. God's hockey team needs an enforcer. So Penny's getting called up from the minor leagues to the majors.
It was always so very sad when one of "our players" got called up to the higher leagues, knowing if they do a good job they won't be coming back. Bittersweet feelings. You wish them well, all the while knowing that means they won't be back.
Penny's good. Penny's really good. I figure once she's over the boards that first shift, God's going to see how well she patrols and controls the the ice, and she'll have a permanent spot on the team.
Penny won't be back. She's made it. It's very sad for our team, but it's very very good news for Penny. I am sure the team in Heaven is waiting for her and will welcome her warmly. She made it.

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# posted by JasonJ1052 @ 1:07 AM
Comments:
I googled Penny's name so I could read the obit, and I stumbled upon your blog. Thank you, Jason, for your writings about Penny. They have reminded me of Penny's loving spirit in a time when I only felt sadness.

Best,

Brooke
(CS work-study 2000-04)
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 8:03 PM
 
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