For June

 Social media is a weird, wild, and sometimes wondrous thing. Each form it takes whether it is facebook, Twitter or other gathering site has its supporters and its critics, and all can be well deserved in their own right.

I started this rambling blog over a decade ago to just chronicle my thoughts, hopefully sell a couple books along the way and generally track the journey of the latter half of my life on this blue marble. I also have a presence, although be it small on other social media sites. One of which is Twitter. I thought I might be able to raise my presence so I joined several years ago. Quite frankly I didn't know what I was doing on it and did not actively participate for several years.

That began to change about a year ago. I started diving in and following people. You don't build a presence simply by yelling, hey! buy my books! You have to let people see who you are, what your thoughts are and what you believe. I do agree that there are elements of Twitter that I completely avoid. I tend to stay out of religious or other overly divisive threads. 

But there is another element of this site that doesn't get talked about and is often just ignored. It's about meeting people. And over this past year I have met (online) and interacted with an absolutely wonderful group of men and women. They are funny and passionate about each other in almost every way, so much so that a large group this past weekend celebrated the wedding of two of them. For several, it was the first time they had actually met in person and if you believe you can't become great friends over the internet, you would be absolutely wrong. These men and women are family. The pictures coming from that even were proof of that.

So, where is this leading Robert? I'm here to tell you.

Sometimes you find out there are other reasons to use the tools we have. One of these terrific people who have made me laugh over this past year is June. She is a wonderfully lively woman to follow as is her close group of Twitter friends, "LadyTwitter". Unfortunately, June has relapsed and faces a diagnosis of cancer. This group has started a gofundme page to help with her medical expenses that, as we all know can be quite difficult. 

With this in mind I am using what little presence I have online to ask that anyone who is able to contribute even a dollar or two go to  https://www.gofundme.com/f/medical-expenses-for-june 

Keep in mind that every dollar anyone contributes makes a difference. This is a world that needs people to come together to help one another. This is my attempt to offer my help for June.

Beneath the Angel's Wing

 It is with sadness that the long sleep has touched the family. My mother-in-law has flown beneath the protection of angel's wings and her soul rests with those she has loved and lost.

For me it is a time of reflection on a woman as gentle and loving as any I have known. It was said she was someone who gathered people as others gather precious things and mementos to themselves. But that is what she does. That is who she is. Mostly, I do not speak in terms of 'did', or 'was' of people who have died. In memory, death does not dismiss their spirit or who they are. She is still who she is and to those who know, the memory is still alive. As is for my parents and North of 50, they are still a living memory to me and I will not denigrate their lives to 'was' or 'were'.

I awoke to a day as bright and beautiful as any I have seen in some time. It will be difficult for many to see its beauty, and I fully understand what has gripped their emotions. For me however I see what she would have wanted us to see, wanted us to embrace. Love each other in her memories and the joy of her spirit. 

Each day is a day passed and every sunrise a time to embrace what we may not have seen yesterday. I envision my life as seeing the world through someone's eyes who has new things to discover be it in a sunrise, a snow-filled winterscape or a day filled with rain, for even the rain brings new birth and new life to the world around it. 

As I see this day in its infancy, I will look only to discover its joy, see its fascination as it unfolds before me. A new life has touched my soul, and my eyes are open to the world again.

The Steps

 Last evening I had the opportunity to check out a group of youngsters trying out for a little league travel team. One of them was Ragin' Cage. It is his first, and possibly last depending on his mood, attempt at something like this.

We stood outside a block walled building as the tryouts were held inside due to poor field conditions at the diamond they usually use. Young boys were running back and forth, hitting off tees in cages, pitching off mounds and fielding off astroturf floors.

Toward the end several boys were throwing some sort of round weighted bags against the block wall and it brought me back to a time when I was their age and younger. We didn't have much as kids but we had baseballs and a glove or two. I originally started out living in a half double next to a very large church. We were so close you could touch both the church and our house at the same time.

The memory made me smile. We lived in the inner city and there were no open fields nearby, plus North of 50 and I were too young to go there by ourselves. But we had steps. In front of the church where two sets of concrete steps, if I remember, 5 high then a short few yards to another set. What these allowed us to do was to throw a rubber ball against them and catch it with our gloves. We would literally do this for hours. The only hiccup was if you missed the first set of steps the second set really didn't help much and whoever threw the ball had to go get it. Then it was the other's turn until he messed up.

North and I did this daily. We rarely had a true baseball and the rubber ones were cheap and took a lot of abuse. When we finally moved out a little further east to a single house, I actually lamented losing the steps as the only ones we new had were up against the back porch, and bouncing those rubber balls off the metal screen door wasn't something my father put up with for long.

It's amazing how boys and baseball bring back those types of memories, but it was a childhood filled with great memories and baseball moments.