Spring Forward

I once heard the reason we love baseball in our culture is because it takes us Home. Home being the symbol of comfort. Home is the place where we get away from the madness of the world. Home is where we love and are loved back. You are Safe At Home. That is the whole purpose of a baseball player--- to go Home... Spring always brings that same sense of the comfort of Home and the renewal of life. Baseball can be also called the sport of that same renewal of life. We have made it through the stormy tempest of Winter. Through the cold and lifeless feeling that those months entail. Like a bear, you just want to hibernate. Do not wake me until life starts up again in the Spring. I do not want to expend much energy and effort because of the bleakness of these surroundings. I will renew in the Spring. And, then, the magic starts... Start, obviously, with the nicer weather. That first really NICE day!!! The sun shines. The birds sing. There is an extra step in a person's being. Smiles come easily and often to your face. You feel life entering your system again. And, that feeling you had as a kid makes a welcome reappearance. That feeling of endless possibilities that the day will bring to you. The next six months will be good to you because you have earned it. You will smell the freshly cut lawn. You will enjoy the aroma of charcoal while a barbecue is near [ I much prefer the old-fashioned way of charcoal cooking than a gas grill] The cooking of steaks and burgers and brauts--- ask yourself this, do you eat brauts anytime in the Winter? The heavy clothing gets put away in a drawer or the back of the closet to be forgotten until the late Fall. Out comes the short-sleeve shirts and the shorts. And, if you are like me, you have put on some pounds over the last few months, so, you are left with the nagging question: do I go on a dreaded diet or do I just buy new clothes in a bigger size? I try a diet at the beginning of Spring, but, I cheerfully fail to succeed and end up buying the new clothes, or, try stuffing my Greek-like physique into my existing clothes. I sure have popped a lot of buttons doing that.... Spring brings back the memories of youth. Middle-age adults join softball teams and other outdoor sports. This is fun, to be sure, but, also to channel the memories of playing ball with your friends so long ago. The fun you had as a kid of being active and having no worries jumps back and swims into your soul, albeit in a much slower form... Sitting outside with my parents when I was a kid has always stayed with me . It was simple, but, very satisfying. We had a patio outside our house-- this is when houses had patios and not decks like today-- and, we would talk, laugh, argue, and, most importantly, feel the joy of being with each other that only family can inspire. The weather seemed nicer then, the air filled with life and times together that would last forever. We were living the moment with each other. All was well. Safe At Home..... I still love to sit outside and enjoy the prospect of doing next to nothing. I enjoy the tranquility. Sometimes, I may be with a large group of people having a great party. We sit around and bullshit to nothing in particular. We play games. We swim. We have some tasty food and some good beverages. And, sometimes, I am sitting contently on my balcony at home, chatting with the neighbors, smoking a good cigar, having a glass of wine or three, with a female friend as my co-pilot. Sometimes, I am alone. These special times all are flowing together in the good times that Spring inspires. I enjoy this speed. I suppose, in some form, I am calling on the past with my departed family members. I feel their presense strongly at moments like this in this Spring weather. They are singing to me in the wind... And, Spring brings me baseball and the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs were my first love as a child. We all know that you never get over your first love. I knew all the players and their numbers. There is a blog from a year ago that I wrote talking about my memories and history with this club. Now, well meaning friends of mine, who are not fans of this team, often ask me, being as smart as I am, how can I continue to follow a team that has always been the laughingstock of sports? Why put myself through the pain of this madness year after year? It is a valid question, I grant you. No sports team in the history of sports has done more for the art of losing and breaking their fans hearts than the Chicago Cubs. My answer? Well, I guess it is tied a little into my feelings of Spring. That promise and renewal of life. That seeps into my feeling for the Cubs. Unlike when I was a kid, I know that the winning or losing of this team is not tied into my own personal happiness and self-worth. There are some sad, misguided adults who still carry that cross with them, but, not me. I believe in the redemption of this team, just as Spring redeems us all from the horror that is Winter. I am not conned easily, my dear reader. I know that they are not going to be good this year. Realism and common sense do exist in most of us Cubs fans. We see the mountain they have to climb. I don't care. The simple fact is this team gives me pleasure. I have always rooted for the underdog-- since I am one, and, I am guessing you all are also. The Cubs are the beaten down people who still rise and begin anew every year. They plant the seed of life and hope for life growth. Just like Spring....  So, we have all made it through the darkness of Winter. Spring has sprung and we reap the rewards. Summer will be here soon, but, Spring must be enjoyed. It is the new-born baby of seasons. All is new and all is fresh. Get out and enjoy it. Sit outside in a nice comfortable chair while your loved ones are around you. Close your eyes and feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun. Enjoy the calm and the goodness of being alive. The world spins around you, but, this is the important world for you. I will send you my love in that wind as I am enjoying it also.... Safe At Home....