He Knows My Name

Let me tell you about one of the big thrills in life. It is when, for the first time, your grandson looks you in the eye and says your name!

Today, Eli looked right at me and said, "Pappy", as only he can say it.

I melted. He is so cool, he didn't spit on the ground or anything after saying it. First time events are always pretty cool.

I am not too celebratory; if this is even a word. I swear that should I believe in organized religion, I would have to be a Jehovah's Witness. I say this because what little I know about this cult is that they do not celebrate things. I am not a big celebrator. I enjoy my moments of success, but I am not a big rah rah guy. I just get happy, and usually no-one knows it but me.

And I (and maybe everyone) have a camera type thing in my brain that freezes time for certain memories. Images get frozen and it seems I can always bring back those moments.

On deck in Chicago right before my first hit in little league (I swear I saw it happen while on deck and just went out and it happened - line drive over the shortstop) { and a side note, I was a nine year old in the Majors, and the pitcher was a giant bad-ass from the neighborhood, maybe THIS is what taught me not to be too celebratory - he would have KICKED MY ASS had I made any arm pump or rah rah action; and big kids DID kick little kid's ass in my part of South Chicago}

A certain moment of innocent greeting in the Cascade Junior High library.

Seeing my seventh inning pinch hit go through the six-hole against Mt Rainier's fire ball pitcher, Zimmerman, to drive in the tying run in front of a packed house at the old wooden White Center Stadium in a game won to secure Evergreen's NPSL Championship in 1971.

Every home run I ever hit, that one second bliss and feel of the swing.

A pre-sunset moment on a ball field in Auburn a week before a teammate died in a small airplane crash.

Looking face to face with Melissa 9/16/77

Kelsey's legs appearing kicking after she came out the wrong way

Peter's home run at Shorewood, the afternoon after I purchased a special cigar for him at lunch

I got more and will share them as the times arise.