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Where are the words...
Posted by Alex W.C.
on
8:38 PM
Father. Fan. Writer. Friend.
When describing friendships, sometimes I can be at a loss
for words. So, I decided that I would try to describe a particular friendship
that I have by describing how I see this person – and this person is Stephen Litel.
Stephen and I first “met” via twitter in 2009, when I had
just announced my now infamous journey, reminding me to make sure to stop by
press row and say hi when I was in Minny. I assured him that I would.
During that voyage in 2009, upon my arrival to the Target
center I was then greeted by one Mr. Stephen Litel. We instantly bonded over
WNBA chat and how my trip had gone thus far. Post-game, we continued our chat a
local eatery with other Lynx fans. It was a quick visit, but still a memorable
one.
Me, "reflecting" on meeting Stephen at the Target center in Minneapolis. |
It would be later on facebook that I would get to know more
about Stephen, particularly the two things he is most fond of – his son and
daughter. Obviously a very proud papa, he often posted pictures of his kids
whenever he could get the chance, and brag about them as well. If you follow
Stephen on facebook, you know exactly what I am talking about. It is the kind
of pride that speaks to his character as a father – something I wish more
fathers in this world would aspire to.
A playful "photo-shopped" rendition of Stephen after a twitter banter about mustaches. |
When the idea came to write a book about my journey, I called
upon Stephen to contribute. He was more than willing and after a read of the rough
draft (quite rough as a matter of fact) he sent me the review that I used for
the back cover. The one thing I really loved about it was that it was quite
objective and honest – and a few kind words didn't hurt either.
Stephen pointing to one of his finer works that adorns the back cover of my book. |
It was after the reasons he gave, two of them to be exact, that it became perfectly clear what his priorities were. He expressed how he was realizing that his children were only going to be young once, and it was time to do some reporting of a different kind, by taking the time to witness his children grow up. Just can’t argue with that.
I assured Stephen that whatever he chose, I would be behind
him, 100%. A few weeks later, I read the blog post that I knew was inevitable,
but I was happy that he found peace.
Stephen is one of our own – a tireless supporter of the
WNBA, a hard working dad, and a friend to all those alike. His words will be missed by fans, and no doubt, the
athletes in this league will miss his support.
This is not a goodbye, but a hello to a new chapter of life for Stephen. You can read up on Stephen at: http://stephenlitel.wordpress.com/. Best wishes to you man; your words will be missed, but not forgotten.
This is not a goodbye, but a hello to a new chapter of life for Stephen. You can read up on Stephen at: http://stephenlitel.wordpress.com/. Best wishes to you man; your words will be missed, but not forgotten.
Stephen and I, 7/7/2012 |