Racial injustice. Disease. RGB. Unemployment. No concerts or theatre. No NCAA spring baseball. No NCAA fall baseball action. And a Red Sox franchise that chucked its season in the dumper before the first delayed pitch was thrown.
There is some comfort knowing we are all part of a team of humans worldwide flailing our way through 2020. Early in the pandemic, I read a post reminding all that we are all in the same storm but weathering it in very different boats. I am fortunate that my boat has been fairly storm-ready.
My close and extended family and tight band of friends are healthy, and my nephew Sam, who’s in the midst of a three-year volunteer gig in Tanzania, as well as my 93 year-old father, have recovered from COVID-19!
But gee, since the Sox didn’t belittle us with “rebuilding year” yakking, I can’t call the re-emergence of this blog a rebuild.
Let’s go with a dusting!
My work team roster has been a bit dynamic, with the lineup card shifting regularly. My mentor and Rock of Gibraltar is no longer on that team but remains a virtual coach. I sure hope she has Johnny Pesky’s longevity!
My family roster has matured (and also grown with 6 members of a new generation and new spouses). My two former Little Leaguers are adults.
One left baseball behind when the wackiness of his knee during adolescence crushed his high school try-outs. But he blossomed as a leader in many areas and became a fantastic trombonist, even performing with the MA All-State Jazz Band at Boston’s Symphony Hall and the storied Newport Jazz Festival (sorry, but I had to…..). With his recent degree in music ed, he is now officially Mr. Wright, teaching middle school music in a gorgeous part of New Hampshire, playing and arranging music — and faithfully watching the Red Sox, no matter the depth of pain this year.
My “little Nomar” is an NCAA baseball player, student and a songwriter on the side. The month he graduated from high school, he was awarded the prestigious Director’s Award (basically the MVP) by the large school’s award-winning performing arts department. His baseball team, which he co-captained, made it to the state finals, and he was awarded the team MVP award. (Mic drop!) His American Legion Team, Post 397, made it to the American Legion World Series in 2019 (what a ride!) He watches as many baseball games at once as possible – Korean, collegiate, Arizona league, Japanese – even setting his alarm for 4 a.m. to catch the season’s first game in some league, anywhere on Planet Earth.
I still love baseball. Not the insane world of stats or the hopefully-never-to-return spitting, but the beauty of its simplicity, gettin’ dirty, small ball and a perfect strike-em-out-throw-em-out. I love sharing it. I love that I learned it from my Dad, connected with my brother over it, and can talk ball with my five amazing sisters.
I love that my boys and I taught my hubby how to keep score so that he could help coach Little League many years ago. And that he still puts up with me and my baseball (and so much more).
And I love doing communications and nonprofit marketing. I’ve had the great fortune of being some small part of things that have changed the country (hopefully, you’ll do me the honor of reading future posts for an explanation). And that was all thanks to strong teams with people who tended to check the ego at the door and valued the expertise and experience that we all brought to the table. Like a true World Series champ.
If you made it to the end of this post, thank you! And see you around the horn – soon.
PR around the horn 
Nice
A call at her brisk walk through several years!!!!