I am finally leaving South Florida, five weeks went way too fast! I watched 40 games the past 35 days: 20 College, 12 MLB, 3 Col-MLB, 5 High School. I will no longer have the security of my ex in-laws Don and Eva’s home. They were very gracious to me and I am very thankful that I was able to start this journey without having to worry about where I would have to sleep and eat. That is changing. I am very confident in my ability to find games and finding stories. I hope to dig a little deeper into things, make the daily blog post a little shorter. Everything will evolve and videos are coming, I promise. Todd ran into a couple of issues, but we will get some things posted.
I want to touch on some of the emails I have gotten from followers of this blog and my Facebook page. A lot ask how I am making money to support myself, how I am able to do this, and that I have inspired them. First, I am getting donations from people, from $10 to $100. Secondly, I received two large donations from Bruno Independent Living Aids and from Reimer Painting Service. And, my own meager savings to begin this adventure.
It has been unbelievable the amount of support I have gotten and the words of encouragement. All is much appreciated.
I am able to do this with a lot of support from my family who has encouraged me to “go for it”. I have to say that my ex-wife has been a big help making sure that my daughter will be taken care of this summer when she is home for summer vacation. I have great people behind me that have helped make this all possible, which I have mentioned in the past. My motivation, besides a probable “mid-life” crisis as some have suggested, is that I actually do take some of the things posted on Facebook to heart. You really do only live once. If I don’t do what I love, then I am not living the life I want to. This gives me my chance to see our country along with watching and being a part of baseball. I love talking to people and listening to their story. I love to write, to create an unique experience that will always be with me. If not now, when? That is what I had to ask myself. I find an incredible amount of happiness doing this. I have limited myself in the past because of “worrying” my entire life. Never doubt, I found joy in different things; but, I have always daydreamed of doing something like this. The time came to just to do it. I am very nervous at what lies ahead of me, it is the fear of the unknown. Even though, “all you need is 20 seconds of courage to get through it” (a friend said that to me). Another friend has told me repeatedly that “if it is suppose to be, the world will conspire to make it happen.”
I think of my parents. They had six kids when they were young, making sure we were taken care of, that was a major undertaking. I have to wonder if they could do it all over again if they would. I know they love all of us, but… My mom has this artistic flare and sense of design that is awesome. She knows how to put a room together. When I see junk, she sees something that can be made into something unique. My dad is a worker bee and a very laid back guy that seems to be opening up in old age. I have heard “I love you” from him more than I have ever have. He is also very creative in his ability to put “the plan” my mom has in her head together, sometimes that is not an easy task. But I still wonder if they feel satisfied, I do part of this for them, they always believed in me – sometimes I wondered why… I used to want to get my life together and present myself to the world, how arrogant of me. I realized I wasn’t that important in other peoples lives, now I am just going out and doing what I love. It took me a long time to “go for it”. Now, I am so glad I finally did. I don’t know where this journey will end up, but I am just going to enjoy the experience for as long as I can do it!
One last thing, my dad had triple by-pass last fall and it hit home for me. The time is “now”, tomorrow is not guaranteed. Do what makes you happy. I know that is easy to say. I no longer have a mortgage hanging over my head, my daughter is in college, etc… but there is something we can do everyday that makes us happy, it really is that simple. I no longer want to get upset at things I have no control over. I want to find as much happiness as I can with the amount of time I have here. If people think that is “pie in the sky”, so be it!
Have a great day! Thanks for all the support, back to baseball!
If you enjoy this story and you would like to help me complete the “Baseball in America Tour 2014”, which is roughly 265 days, please click on the following link to see how you can help http://www.baseballbuddha.com/sponsor.html . Please also share this on your Facebook page and Twitter, I appreciate all the help I can get!
Enjoy the journey, Buddha.
So, you finally got around to writing “some” of your biography! 😉 Very nice and just happy you wanted to share with the rest of us as you go. Wonderful concept! About your parents situation – “if” they had it to do all over again….how many of the six of you would they not want to have around? And, if we all could change the hands of time backwards, doing things differently ~ what part of your current life would be changed? I firmly believe our paths in life happen for a reason, purpose. What we do with it, is up to us. Hopefully the lessons we learn along the way, good – bad – or indifferent, we truly take to heart to make our own lives a better place. I believe your parents are just fine. We could surmise about the past but it’s a lot of wasted energy. But, what is ahead is what is important. Take care of things you can change, those you can’t – let go of. You are doing a great job …. enjoy it to the fullest.
John my friend. You are living a dream for many of us with your writing and travels. Thats what I say for a lot of people who have jobs or opportunities in sports. You are right. Live for today, because you have no idea what tommorow brings.
That you are doing this journey mostly on your own, with the traveling and all that is astounding too, but it is love and passion for baseball and life as well. ENJOY The Journey John and take care, talk soon. Paul.