If I don’t need your help, don’t give it

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It’s Thursday night, and maybe I wouldn’t have been able to watch El Dorado at El Modena play football. Maybe it really is uncomfortable, breathing in the particulate matter floating from the Santiago Canyon fire.

Maybe, even, I couldn’t be anywhere in Orange County on this Thursday night. Maybe the air is still too charred to breathe while trying to play, or even watch, a football game for 2 1/2 hours. And that’s OK. if it’s bad, it’s bad. But don’t tell me Thursday morning that I’m not going to be able to breathe that air on Friday night. Or Saturday night.

Don’t prevent me from rescheduling tonight’s game for Saturday. Don’t put me in a position to have to play Monday or Tuesday, and then come back and play another game before the week is out.

Don’t keep me from flying to San Jose to play in a water polo tournament that I’ve raised $7,000 to attend. And whatever you do, don’t make me come back after I’ve already left.

Don’t keep me from going to Redondo Beach two days from now to play in a volleyball tournament. Don’t cause a school 30 miles from here to have its tournament trashed because one-third of the teams can’t attend -- even though I’m probably safer there than I am here.

Don’t throw out common sense because you want to penalize everyone under the guise of protection instead of protecting just those who need it.

- Martin Henderson