Don't need my groove anymore anyway...
I told you the story about the mean, mean trick my older brothers and sisters played on me (the oldest denies any knowledge of the incident, btw).
Even shy, dorky clowns can somehow stumble into good relationships. At least this one did.
I used to umpire baseball. I did games for the Carrollton (TX) Little League in 1980 and 1981. These were 7 and 8 year old boys playing real baseball. Kids pitched, other kids hit, everyone ran the bases and I called balls and strikes. The first year I was very accurate with my strike zone and watched alot of young men learn to take every pitch and walk in the six runs allowed each inning. The second year, I told coaches that the players weren't learning anything about baseball and those kids capable of hitting the ball needed to start swinging because close would be a strike for them. They explained to the kids and their parents; the season was off to a great start.
I'm not sure how many of you have been around youth sports leagues. The term "soccer mom" hadn't been invented yet, but the general idea was the same. For a single young man, the parents didn't present many options for romance, especially for a clown ;-) (except Guy Baldwin's never-married mom, but that is a different post).
The leagues played night games on nicely manicured fields. Bright lights, scoreboards and announcers were all things I didn't have in Little League. The parents took turns covering the official scorer and announcer positions. They sat on a raised platform just outside the chain-link fence on the first base side of the backstop. After a year and a half, I had met most of the parents and was on good terms with them, the players and coaches. One of the more talented players was a precocious 8 year old named Scooter. One of the better pitchers in the league, Scooter had an huge smile and quick laugh. He was also one of the players I told to "hit it if it's close."
On one of Scooter's scheduled nights to pitch, I looked up at the scorer's platform to see who was announcing and keeping the book. My heart skipped a beat when to my surprise, the hottie in the picture here was sitting up there (in that same top). Scooter's aunt, Stephanie had been asked by the boy's mother to cover her turn as announcer while she "worked the concession stand."
Both of us fell for this ruse as Bonnie worked her matchmaking skills. Incessant flirting, awkward moments, a mother's near heartbreak (it was mistaken identity), and Bonnie's direct intervention led to dating, courtship, marriage and two beautiful children. I am hopeful that we will be blessed and celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary on New Year's Eve in 2033.
In the meantime, it's a shared journey through life's highs and lows. Sometimes passionate, many times not, but always moving forward. But once in a while it's fun to look back....
Even shy, dorky clowns can somehow stumble into good relationships. At least this one did.
I used to umpire baseball. I did games for the Carrollton (TX) Little League in 1980 and 1981. These were 7 and 8 year old boys playing real baseball. Kids pitched, other kids hit, everyone ran the bases and I called balls and strikes. The first year I was very accurate with my strike zone and watched alot of young men learn to take every pitch and walk in the six runs allowed each inning. The second year, I told coaches that the players weren't learning anything about baseball and those kids capable of hitting the ball needed to start swinging because close would be a strike for them. They explained to the kids and their parents; the season was off to a great start.
I'm not sure how many of you have been around youth sports leagues. The term "soccer mom" hadn't been invented yet, but the general idea was the same. For a single young man, the parents didn't present many options for romance, especially for a clown ;-) (except Guy Baldwin's never-married mom, but that is a different post).
The leagues played night games on nicely manicured fields. Bright lights, scoreboards and announcers were all things I didn't have in Little League. The parents took turns covering the official scorer and announcer positions. They sat on a raised platform just outside the chain-link fence on the first base side of the backstop. After a year and a half, I had met most of the parents and was on good terms with them, the players and coaches. One of the more talented players was a precocious 8 year old named Scooter. One of the better pitchers in the league, Scooter had an huge smile and quick laugh. He was also one of the players I told to "hit it if it's close."
On one of Scooter's scheduled nights to pitch, I looked up at the scorer's platform to see who was announcing and keeping the book. My heart skipped a beat when to my surprise, the hottie in the picture here was sitting up there (in that same top). Scooter's aunt, Stephanie had been asked by the boy's mother to cover her turn as announcer while she "worked the concession stand."
Both of us fell for this ruse as Bonnie worked her matchmaking skills. Incessant flirting, awkward moments, a mother's near heartbreak (it was mistaken identity), and Bonnie's direct intervention led to dating, courtship, marriage and two beautiful children. I am hopeful that we will be blessed and celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary on New Year's Eve in 2033.
In the meantime, it's a shared journey through life's highs and lows. Sometimes passionate, many times not, but always moving forward. But once in a while it's fun to look back....
posted by Kurt at 12:30 PM
3 Comments:
Very nice story, dude. I'm glad things worked out for you and Stephanie.
That is the best post I've read in a while, maybe ever.
With all my silly posts, I am total romatic and that story is the greatest.
Congratulations!
Awww, that IS a great story. And wow she's absolutely gorgeous! Look at that smile! Pretty teeth, hair and tan!
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