Justin Grant Photography

During these tough financial times, it seems that everybody is struggling in one way or another.  A friend of mine, and an amazingly brilliant and positive person, was telling me over the weekend that he had to sell off a few personal items to survive.  Yet he remains positive and with a smile on his face.  As I take steps through my life, I’ve made many mistakes, and I’ve had great success stories as well.  But I don’t think that I’ve ever appreciated both, the good and the bad, so much as I do these days.  It’s been a very humbling year for me personally.  I was inspired to post words tonight, instead of pictures, because of people like my friend, and because of an email that I received tonight that simply came at the perfect moment in my life.  

A few years back, I used to manage my sons traveling competition baseball team - The “Dirtbags.”  The families involved were the most amazing people, and they were all a part of some of the best years of my life. The simpler times - when the major drama in our world was coach Justin getting kicked out of the game for arguing a questionable call.  The email that I received tonight was from Michael Olive, my old shortstop - “Chocolate Thunder!”  The sweetest kid in the world, and the most amazing family.  It has been a few years since we’ve seen each other, and he just wanted to say hi, and ask how I was doing, and to also let me know that he no longer dances in the batters box.  Hearing from him just struck a chord in me tonight.  I don’t know if anybody will read this, but I simply wanted to write tonight and say that I am grateful for everybody, and everything, that I have in my life.  And that I’m sorry to all of the umpires that I became upset with.  Thanks for the email Michael.  

JG