Let the randomness....begin!
** First things first--I have moved on. I no longer manage a retail store. I associate with people who manage retail stores, but I myself do not hold that title anymore.
I have moved on to the profession of sales representation once again. Only this time I am not representing things that I could give a shit about (re: air handling units, pumps, and whatever else I used to sell. Sorry dad.), I am representing things that I enjoy (re: tents, hiking boots, camp stoves, cool winter jackets). I work from home, travel quite frequently, and am moving back to the Midwest.
Yes, out of Colorado and back into Kansas City. It's cool though, it will allow me to be closer to my family, my friends, and my baseball team.
How's that for a segway?
** My baseball team is, and always will be the St. Louis Cardinals. My first memories of existence include the Cardinals. Cards posters, Cards lamp, Cards sheets, Cards jammies, Cards ball caps... I remember them winning the 1982 World Series. I remember them losing to the Royals in 1985, assisted by "the call" at first base. I remember '87 against the Twins. I saw Mark McGwire's first home run as a Cardinal...back to back with Ray Langford. I own a streak of 11 years in a row seeing the Cubs/Cards rivalry. 2004 WS loss. 2006 WS win.
And then came the greatest game ever played. Game six of the 2011 World Series. And I was at a fucking sales meeting. I saw the meat of the game in the bar at the fancy resturant where our work dinner was. Then followed the play-by-play in the shuttle back to the hotel. Luckily I made it back to my room to see the dramatic win. But it wasn't just game six, it was the entire run from August that made that win so special.
** My dad's best friend growing up died. It's kind of a weird deal. Dad and Jim were best friends as kids, up through high school, and then past college. Jim was dad's best man, and I believe dad, Jim's. Jim and his family moved to Texas some time after college and they obviously saw much less of each other. I remember seeing Jim when I was a kid. Him and his family would visit from time to time, as we would visit them. Then as the years went on, dad and Jim drifted apart for whatever reason.
This whole story has me thinking fairly deeply about a few things. Dad didn't find out about Jim's death until some random, mutual acquaintance included dad on an email about Jim's obituary. Now, let me back up. Over the years, dad has tried reaching out to Jim--he's called him several times with no reply. Why? Who knows. Probably because people get caught up in their own shit and the past becomes an afterthought...I don't know. And upon finding out this sad news, dad obviously felt extremely bad. Felt he should have tried harder.
Here's what makes me start thinking: Not to place any "blame" on my dad's deceased friend, but dad tried. If I were to drift apart from my best friend since memory starts--which is bound to happen to a point during adulthood--I'm going to return his calls. I'm going to shoot him an email from time to time. And I'm certainly going to let him know that I have cancer and am going die soon. There's drifting apart, and then there's just oddly blocking someone out for no apparent reason.
Here's the rest of what's got me thinking: Jim, obviously, was my dad's age. That makes, let's see...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 parents of friends or friends of parents whom have passed away recently. All from cancer, I believe. And that's just the ones that I was close to.
It's a depressing subject and one I don't enjoy thinking about, but "who knows when?" No one.
That's why, if you are best friends with your parents, like I am...best friends with your wife, like I am...best friends with your sister, like I am...best friends with your best friends, like I am...and best friends with your kids, like I am going to be...then you need to throw any selfishness out the window and spend as much time with them as you can. No need to suffocate them, just find that balance of good, quality time.
** Balance. That's such a meaningful term to me. Balance is the blueprint to my entire life's structure. I don't feel like explaining that--I'll just let you ponder it for yourselves.
** Pujols? Sure, for a fair price. I wouldn't mind getting the band back together as long as we're not breaking the bank for the next ten years. If he splits though, so be it. He's a good ballplayer, but he's not THE Cardinals. At this point in his career I'd say he's replaceable. I'd be okay with letting him go to South Beach with LeBron and us finding the next Joey Votto.
Whatever happens, happens. And that's cool.
;;
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