HAPPY RETURNS- keep on the ball


Keep Your Eye on the Ball Not Ball On Your Eye

A green revolution is happening in, on and off the courts. This is a comedy of survival when we create happy returns. Otherwise if it's a tragedy and we're doomed.

Remember the tennis court oath in the French Revolution? It failed because it was not fully supported, especially those of significant means.

Recently at the US Open protesters glued their feet to raise attention.  I have advocated a different form of stickiness to recruit support. Over the years I have invented many characters including the Trash Pirate, Noah U Water and Les More urging folks to help out. I even presented a recycled paper at a national behavioral symposium at Virginia Tech.  Additionally, I ran for a precedent as a court jester on April Fool's Day as Ray Cycletm.  

I was permitted to perform on the United States Capitol steps. Since I brought my racket I was a Loud boy yelling "you're not dealing with a full deck when you throw the joker out." How many tennis pros have helped build a used oil recycling plant then testified before Congress?  I was a spark plug starting  programs around the US including a 1980 Earth Day organizer (https://www.robertarner.com/about.html).

As major congressional lawyer my dad helped form the Capitol Tennis team which I played on. Growing up while my dad was writing Medicaid and Medicare he taught me on DC public courts. Even my boss at my life-long club where I was also Pro was the chief of staff for two Senate majority leaders. As a tennis professional for over 50 years I've also been an environmental advocate. I've written articles on the subject for tennis magazines ( http://www.tennisserver.com/wildcards/wildcards_08_05.html).   

Mary Joe Fernandez who interviewed Coco Gauff after her Open win did a public service announcement for me. Thanks to her coach and friend Harold Solomon we did a Hispanic used oil recycling PSA. I grew up around numerous tennis leaders including the heads of many International tennis organizations and also major tennis agents.

One of my best friends and employer actually won what is now the US Open four times. Pauline Betz Addie and I even won a match on the White House courts. Later we won a perfect set- 24 straight points. Like in sustainability the key is to keep things in play. When I took Pauline's Championship trophies to the International Hall of Fame I said I got them at a thrift shop.  We both frequented them a lot.  To serve is to know how to precisely toss the ball. So let's toss things in, not things out!

Today we must account for our actions. Those fortunate unfortunately show great effluence from their affluence. Yes gaseous, liquid and solid waste greatly accelerate by the income. Those less fortunate suffer more by our emissions. Trillions of dollars are now being allocated to mitigate climate change while a little is used to profit from pollution prevention.  Some even call this woke capitalism insuring our future prosperity.  

Aggressively investing to minimize our carbon impact will maximize both the returns "on" and "off" such investments.  As in tennis life is a game of errors. Returning is essential.  Unless we foresee and forestall we are in peril. Let's best show returns both on and off the courts. Losing is no longer an option since winning is a fact to sustain life. Let's cultivate many happy returns and laugh keeping it in play not crying at our mistakes! 

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