ME: (To man on the street. Waiting for the light to change.) You know I’ve never done this before.
MAN: Done what? (Looks me up and down with a mixture of confusion and hostility).
ME: Oh, I can’t tell you yet, I’m not sure if I’ve been authorized. But, (I lean a little closer) it involves dunking.
MAN: Oh hoops. You gonna try to dunk (slight smile on face as he sizes me up again. Yes this is a balding 59-year-old white man, he confirms). You? Dunk? No way. (Man was laughing now).
ME: Yes way. OK, I can tell you it will happen after the MikeMadness Basketball Tournament. You heard of that?
MAN: Well now that you mention it, I saw a poster about that. Gonna be at UAB?
ME: Yes, UAB Recreation Center, July 20, 8 a.m. You should get three buddies and sign up. It costs $150 a team and it’s for a good cause, to raise money for Lewy body dementia. It’s a fatal brain disease and I have it. I’m Mike of MikeMadness.
MAN: You’re Mike? Fatal disease? (Man steps back)
ME: (Laughing) No no, it’s not contagious. I’ve had it for three years and I’m still working, playing basketball and now this dunking. Oops don’t repeat that.
MAN: You telling me you are going to be dunking?
ME: Well, it involves me and it involves dunking. That’s all I can say now. Except it also involves some celebrity types like a certain Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist will be going for a dunk.
MAN: Where is this going to be?
ME: The after party and dunking will be after the tournament, starting at 1 p.m., at TrimTab brewery. It’s at 2721 5th Ave South in Birmingham.
MAN: And that Pulitzer Prize guy, you aren’t talking about John Archibald are you?
ME: Yes but don’t tell anybody, I’m not authorized yet. There’ll probably be other celebrities like disc jockeys and athletes. Last year Trent Richardson and Buck Johnson showed up.
MAN: You mean Archibald is gonna dunk? (Now laughing harder).
ME: Let’s just say, me and John will be called the ‘Splash Brothers.”
MAN: Well, let’s go then!
ME: Heck yeah, let’s go. (I reach out for a fist bump).
MAN: No, I mean the light has changed, time to cross.
THE FINE PRINT: Sign up now on the link above or go to mikemadness.org The tournament is free to watch July 20 from 8 am to about noon. Teams consist of three or four (if you want a substitute, most do) and team entry fee is $150. Sure to be collectible T-shirts, for $15 each, and are purple this year in honor of Prince who was, we hear, a great basketball player in his day. New this year will will be a 3-point contest. Entry fee is $20. I’m looking forward to seeing who will come in second place. The after party at TrimTab is at 1 p.m. and it’s free. The brewery will donate 10 percent of its proceeds during this time. Remember this is all about raising money for Lewy body dementia a killer brain disease which I have. Last two years we raised $25,000 combined. I’m looking to match that two-year-total this year with $25,000 bringing the total to $50K in three years. Ambitious yes? But important. Money raised will be going to Lewy body research at UAB and the Lewy Body Dementia Association. For more on my living with the disease plus music, check out www.myvinylcountdown.com