I’ve crossed the line.

I’m not quite sure what “the line” is, but I know I’ve crossed it.

It must have something to do with age. It dawned on me Monday night while I was watching the Vikings- Packers game on Monday Night Football.

I like both teams. Always have. And with Gaffney’s own Sidney Rice playing for the Vikings I’ve got an extra incentive to pull for them. But for this particular game, I was pulling for the Vikings because of another player — Brett Favre. You see, he’s supposed to be over the hill, too old to play in the NFL. Too old at 39? To be fair, he is real close to 40 (Oct. 10 is his birthday.)

Still, to someone pushing 60 like I am, 40 is YOUNG.

Because of his age, I suspect most football fans 40 and over (except diehard Packer fans) were pulling for him to be successful playing against his former team — a team that seemingly put him out to pasture. To our delight, Favre played an almost perfect game and even completed several passes to Sidney with one of them for six points!

Another recent too-oldto win story centered on Tom Watson’s performance at the British Open. Tom was 59 at the time but has since turned 60. He led the Open going into the final round, indeed, going into the final hole! He bogeyed the 18th and lost in a playoff.

You better believe golf fans born in the 1960s and before were hoping against hope that Watson would make that final putt on the final hole to pull off a win for the aged. He didn’t and played dismally in the fourhole playoff.

It’s human nature, I suppose, to pull for the underdog in most of life’s situations. Those who succeed in spite of the odds being stacked against them grab our attention. We read about them in politics, business and sports.

It makes for an even more compelling story when we can identify with the “hero.”

Even if the similarity is something as minor as age.

“If they can do it, maybe there’s hope for me.” Not that those of us past our prime will ever (or ever could) throw touchdowns in the NFL or win British Opens. But watching someone else who has been written

off as “no longer relevant” do it gives us hope that we may yet accomplish some goals.

When someone succeeds against all odds, it gives hope to those who witness the victory.

Hope is a miraculous attribute. It enables us to continue on this journey of life despite the obstacles we encounter along the way.

On the flip side, nothing is more heart-wrenching than to see hope destroyed.

I witnessed just that yesterday afternoon when a mother sat in my office telling the story of her teenage son who was expelled from school for being involved in a disturbance at Gaffney High.

I’ve only heard one side (hers), but we are working on a story that will present a complete picture of the situation.

Whether or not the expulsion was the RIGHT thing to do is not the issue of this column. The issue is what happens to people when HOPE is lost. Just a few weeks ago, the future looked bright for this mother’s son. According to her (and I have no reason to doubt what she told me) he had never been in trouble, was making good grades and was a starter on the football team. Senior year and all of the trappings that go with it had finally arrived. College was in the picture after graduation.

The longer she talked the more I could feel her pain. She looked and felt helpless and hopeless.

I promised her that we would look into the matter and write a story, but that would not change the situation.

I understand that discipline is absolutely necessary in school and punishment must be fair and equitable.

Was the punishment in the case fair? I have no idea.

I do know that the high hopes a mother had for her son have been dashed.

And that, my friends, is a sad, sad sight.

Cody Sossamon (cody@gaffneyledger.com) is publisher of The Gaffney Ledger.