Mike and I spoke several times last season about dusting this space off. Indiana University Football entered a new and exciting world this past season with the hiring of Curt Cignetti, and the amazing season that followed.
It had been a long time since we had written here. Life happens. Our kids were involved in their own activities - for me, personally, my Saturdays were often locked in on cross country meets, making it challenging to focus on our Hoosiers.
More time passed, the last of the kids graduated. My husband and I became season ticket holders in what ultimately was the final season of the Tom Allen era. Then, a new hire. A new hope. The vibe was different - the energy cautiously palpable.
Many of Mike's Saturdays had become tied in with his charity motorcycle club. Rides, raising money for families facing unthinkable diagnoses. For people suffering losses one hopes to never face. Toy drives for area children's hospitals. Sometimes, just riding to feel the wind.
And so, we chatted about it, but truth was, there were so many others who had entered the blog space who did it so much better. Platforms that were built out beautifully, with engagement and depth far beyond what our fandom brought.
But still, it lingered. The idea.
And then, on May 3rd, 1025 at 3:01am, my phone rang. On the other end, a sobbing loved one.
Mike was gone.
In the immortal words of Dear Abby - Gentle Reader, my heart shattered into a million little pieces.
Mike P., or Big Mike as many knew him, has been a solid constant in my life from the day we met. That was when he was 3, and I was six days old. Losing him has been a fog, a lie, a heartache I was not prepared for.
This may be the last thing ever posted here. I may opt to write here again, sharing my useless but fun fandom of Indiana Football, good and bad. (The good is a shit-ton of fun though!) My husband and I have talked about sharing tailgating stuff, that may be where I take this.
But I owed it to Michael to come back at least once and say goodbye here. To let anyone who might still accidentally have this in some RSS feed know what happened.
Mike loved football, but more, he loved his son. He was a single dad, the custodial parent, and that was the role he relished over any other. If you are a vibes kind of person, send the good ones to him, the son. To his brothers, the MotorCychos. To his mom, who has faced the unthinkable as a parent.
And, maybe, just a little, to the rest of us. The family he choose, and continued to choose over and over. My mom, my biological brothers, myself. He truly viewed me as his sister, my brothers as brothers. My mom as the other mom.
I apologize for any rambling here. I'm brain dumping this, if I'm being honest, and I don't think I will go back and edit at all. What I know is this : Mike was a special guy, and we were blessed to have him. I hope you also have people in your life like a Mike, and if you do, be sure to tell them that they matter to you. It's so cliche, but cliches are born in truths - we never know what tomorrow may bring.
In that, I say, Go Hoosiers.
-Megan
