I will note that there are currently 10,123 members. Fewer than 0.3% participate in the Haiku thread. If we got that to even 5%, Hans would have a coronary trying to keep up.
A psycho-emotional breakdown would present far more of a risk than a coronary, but I've been operating with that awareness throughout the season.
In preparation, I've sometimes skipped game day haiku participation in favor of caring for and playing with a 3-year old. And I've arrived late to the game with my contributions.To an impressively high degree, others have stepped in, noted imperfections, made corrections, and ultimately validated my deep belief that the Game Day Haiku Thread
benefits from my participation, but - as with this NCAA Tournament mojo thread - it does not succeed
because of any one contributor. Especially in the Hurley area, we win as a team. We all pull the sled.
If there is a huge uptick in haiku participation, I will feel emotionally stressed by counting every bit of every entry offered. But it's what I do. Yes, my post-season pay will be a large multiple of the regular season rate per entry...and still add up to the same outcome. There is no NIL for fans.
I will subvocalize every single word and tap out each syllable with my fingers. My greatest physical injury risk will be repetitive stress in the joints of my right hand.
Will additional help and back-up checkers help? You bet they will.
Of course, prevention is always the best approach. Write your haiku. Test it out with
your inner voice and fingers. Post your entry, and re-read it while counting again. If needed, make corrections by editing before time expires
One of my favorite 7-syllable 2nd lines is, "Eschew ambiguity."
There are many ways to pronounce "Xavier," but only one way to say, "X."
People still write explanatory notes like, "My kid wrote this," as though that 4-syllable intro hasn't broken the integrity of the post. My comments, corrections, and suggestions are written only in haiku. I can be frustrating & dizzying. May that truth serve as a dream come true for those who dislike my efforts & expressions in this forum.
I choose to do haiku for reasons I've many times explained, and I accept that there are those who object to my doing whatever I do for reasons they fabricate, misinterpret, or do not comprehend.
Haiku is a calling. It's a vital energetic force that surrounds, buoys, strengthens, and inspires the coaches, the players, and all types of fans.
Haiku wards off the haters, the trolls, and those whose worst excesses are driven by needs for clicks & eyeballs.
May we all do our best.
