Baseball and Books:My Connections to the Past

They say there's nothing more American than baseball, hotdogs, and apple pie - throw in books, and I'm all set. On this opening day of 2017, with my favorite National League team, the World Series Champions, Chicago Cubs (who ever thought we'd be saying that?) playing today, it's appropriate for the B challenge to be about baseball and books and how their connection has inspired me through my lifetime. Growing up, I've always had an affinity to completion and collegiality. I loved getting together with friends, play a little baseball, and hopefully beat them before they had a chance to beat us. There was a ballpark in Oak Hill, which was a magnet for all the neighborhood kids to gather, to joke, have fun, and most importantly play baseball. And no matter what the result, we'd be back together the next day. In school, whenever they had a writing assignment, I'd always to work in my love for baseball. I'd go to the library, and gather books and articles about my favorite players. Two at the top of the list were Hank Greenberg (because he played first base like me) and Ty Cobb (because he was the most competitive player I had ever read about, and that inspired me) - that both were Detroit Tigers, being my favorite American League team, had a lot to do with it! During the summer when I was outside doing chores, I always had the radio on, or the TV inside, listening to George Kell and Ernie Harwell give the play by play. Late night west coast games were the times when I had my little transistor radio on under the blankets, enjoying the exploits of Al Kaline, Norm Cash, and John Wockenfuss (that name used to drive my mom crazy, as she'd always say, "Is Wockenfuss always at bat?" Of course this became a gateway to reading as I learned everything about the players through the papers while checking the line scores, and their bios when they came out - Greenberg's and Cobb's are still two of my favorite bio reads in any genre. I learned about the intricacies of the stats after reading Bill James Abstracts which I bought every year without fail. I'd join rotisserie/fantasy leagues and pick my favorite players so I felt even more involved in my fandom. Of course, I played ball, moving up through the ranks and leagues: little league, bronco league, pony league, and American Legion ball. I played in high school, slo-pitch and fast-pitch softball, church league and even had a short stint in college until I blew out my knee, knowing I'd have to continue my passion for the sport off the field. Today, I still watch, and listen and read everything about my favorite teams. I've been to many games featuring the Tigers, the Cubs (who ignited my passion when the cable channel WGN was first available), and the Braves (where my interest increased when the cable channel WTBS arrived). We've seen games where there were virtually no one there as my favorites were dwelling in last place, and other times, when the parks were packed in the middle of pennant races. So I'd arrive each time with my wife (and later my son, and then his wife, and soon, my grandsons), whether regular season or Spring Training, buy a program, grab a pencil, pick up a hotdog and cold beverage, and let the experience wash over me, bringing back all of those childhood memories from so long ago, yet in an instant, along side of me. And then after the season, I'd buy the book which recapped the season, or decade or player, or even history of the team, and relive it all over again. So the next time you go to a game, look for me. I'm saving you a seat. Play ball!!!

Anatomy of an Obsession

I was never read to as a child. I know when people talk about their passion for books, it usually begins with their parents reading to them as children. How the family shared an interest in reading. How there was a wealth of books throughout the household. How reading was a way of life growing up. But that wasn't so, in my case. That's not to say there weren't opportunities to read. Schoolwork was the natural pathway for reading, though it was required. The pleasure came about in subtle ways. I found that by winning contests such as spelling bees and top scores, I would receive a book as a prize. This became a goal, as I tried to win as many as possible. Then of course, Scholastic would have their book fairs at school, and we earned stamps in class for achievements which we could cash in for books. As I brought more home, my mom could see how much I enjoyed this, so she'd drop me off at the public library, where I spent hours exploring - finding a good adventure, and a comfy chair - and there I sat until my mom picked me up. In high school, I was still overwhelmed with required reading, which took the shine off reading for pleasure. It seemed there was always something to read for a required assignment, and the enjoyment left me - I no longer found it as escape, but reality, as I realized that reading was an unfortunate necessity, rather than a pleasurable distraction from the every day. That changed when an English teacher allowed me to choose any book I wanted, without a required reading list. I wasn't buying into it - there must be an ulterior motive, no one allows you to do what you want, especially in high school?! Or do they? She recommended Lord of the Rings - to read as much as I want and write about it - I gave it a try, planning to just read a couple pages, skim the rest, and bluff my way through the assignment - but I kept reading, turning page after page, and completing it within the week. I wrote the paper, turned it in ahead of time. She called me up the next day, handed back the paper with a big A emblazoned across it, smiled, and said, "there's more!"........ And that's how my obsession with reading began!

Introducing the A to Z April Challenge

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com Starting a new challenge to blog about my passions of books, learning and teaching after retiring - 33 years in, and I hope I'll learn something about myself in the process - I'll try to blog each day with a different topic that hopefully will give me perspective as to why I've followed this path, and and what the future brings - it's an exciting time indeed....

Feeling Nostalgic

Feeling nostalgic - when I had my first bookstore Chulio Bookbrokers in Rome, GA, I was paying $50 per month, utilities included - I was also teaching at Floyd College (now named Georgia Highlands)....my wife would get out of work and stop by, so I could go home to go to the bathroom and grab a sandwich! I opened the shop because of my love of books, and had it in the middle of nowhere because it was near my house - knew nothing about business plans, and marketing strategy - I just knew the basics of Economics, which became mantra of a movie that hadn't come out yet, Field of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come!" And they did, so much so, I moved the store to a downtown, named Bookbrokers. Its success led me back to Traverse City where I opened another location on S. Union, also named Bookbrokers, and then Grand Traverse Mall, named ComicQuest, and then working for Horizon Books in Traverse City and Cadillac, and even my brief foray with Books a Million - really missing the store that started it all today for some reason - I used to pick up my stock from homes, attics, barns, estate sales, flea markets, and yard sales - I traveled to neighboring Alabama and Tennessee to find what the customer wanted - because it made me feel good, finding things for people when they had lost hope everywhere else - it was a love, a passion, and a way of life, that I've continued over the years - in quiet moments, I close my eyes and remember the very special times when I could help another soul as passionate in their love of books as I was myself. I remember visiting amazing shops in the surrounding area - Atlanta to be precise, and two give me the most vivid memories, and their futures demonstrate the hit-or-miss volatility of the market - one was C Dickens, which deals in rare books, maps and manuscripts which is still thriving today; another is Oxford Books (and its fellow stores, Two, and Three) which no longer exists except in the minds and hearts of those who were blessed to be its regular customers for eternity - there is something so rare, so beautiful, so extraordinary to meet a kindred spirit on the path that you have taken yourself - they understood, the need, the passion, and even the heartbreak to seek, to find, to release, and to seek once more, because you wouldn't have it any other way....so here's to you, ye searchers of tomes old and new, whether for another, or your own peace of mind - just another reason that no matter how long I live as a Bookman ( and I believe that's why I also became a teacher), I will be proud to have found that special something for that special someone for which they sought, whether lost or forgotten, to be held in their hearts forever more - this article summed up the passion of those who have lost a treasure, the soul of a community as Neil Gaiman would quote, the bookstore.... http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2014/11/intown-20-remembering-oxford-books/

A New Beginning

With retirement, it's time to reflect - to basically take stock in the benefits and costs of life past, and life yet to live. Over the summer, to say life didn't quite the way as planned would be an understatement but after everything I've been through, I'm glad to be hear, enjoying what I love to do, to still teach, to still love, to still be, to still breathe, and of course, to still read. I've enjoyed several jaunts - to the Cottage Bookshop in Glen Arbor; Books a Million, Horizon Books, Bookie Joint, Landmark Books, and Brilliant Books in Traverse City; Red Fox Inn in Horton Bay; MLean and Eakin and Horizon Books in Petoskey; Saturn Books in Gaylord; Island Bookstore in Mackinaw City; Happy Owl Bookshop and Anne's Bookstore in Manistee; Book Mark and The Windowsill Books in Ludington; and Barnes & Nobles Booksellers in Valparaiso, Indiana. I've also enjoyed many books over the summer ( not counting the two months out) as well, the two best being: Born for This by Chris Guillebeau (highly recommended for all who wish to make that next big decision in a relationship, or a job, or starting your own business 5/5 stars) www.bornforthis.com ; The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore (highly recommended you-are-there novelization of the conflict between Edison vs Westinghouse/Tesla - even if you know the story, this is the best representation of the battle, and soon to be a major motion picture - read the book first! 5/5 stars) www.penguinrandomhouse.com So what have I learned during these adventures, and even a few misadventures. Life is a gift, make sure you appreciate the magnitude of what has been given to you - remember, this this isn't ever borrowed time, I believe it's better time - make it your best time! Now find your adventure, read for pleasure, take care of yourself, love those near you, and breathe!

A New Beginning

With retirement, it's time to reflect - to basically take stock in the benefits and costs of life past, and life yet to live. Over the summer, to say life didn't quite the way as planned would be an understatement but after everything I've been through, I'm glad to be hear, enjoying what I love to do, to still teach, to still love, to still be, to still breathe, and of course, to still read. I've enjoyed several jaunts - to the Cottage Bookshop in Glen Arbor; Books a Million, Horizon Books, Bookie Joint, Landmark Books, and Brilliant Books in Traverse City; Red Fox Inn in Horton Bay; MLean and Eakin and Horizon Books in Petoskey; Saturn Books in Gaylord; Island Bookstore in Mackinaw City; Happy Owl Bookshop and Anne's Bookstore in Manistee; Book Mark and The Windowsill Books in Ludington; and Barnes & Nobles Booksellers in Valparaiso, Indiana. I've also enjoyed many books over the summer ( not counting the two months out) as well, the two best being: Born for This by Chris Guillebeau (highly recommended for all who wish to make that next big decision in a relationship, or a job, or starting your own business 5/5 stars) www.bornforthis.com ; The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore (highly recommended you-are-there novelization of the conflict between Edison vs Westinghouse/Tesla - even if you know the story, this is the best representation of the battle, and soon to be a major motion picture - read the book first! 5/5 stars) www.penguinrandomhouse.com So what have I learned during these adventures, and even a few misadventures. Life is a gift, make sure you appreciate the magnitude of what has been given to you - remember, this this isn't ever borrowed time, I believe it's better time - make it your best time! Now find your adventure, read for pleasure, take care of yourself, love those near you, and breathe!

Best Books of 2014

1. You by Caroline Kepnes - listed as a romance novel, but actually in the vein of Misery in today's tech setting... 2. The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin - a very pleasurable read on a family who live around books.... 3. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman - fascinating psychological look at a very unique family during the depression... 4. Flash Boys by Michael Lewis - incredible inside look as to what actually happens in Wallstreet 5. Building a Better Teacher: How Teaching Works (and How to Teach It to Everyone) by Elizabeth Green - great book on the behind the scenes process to the debate on education... 6. The Priority List: A Teacher's Final Quest to Discover Life's Greatest Lessons David Menasche - incredible story about a teacher who searches the country to find his former students... 7. Killer by Jonathan Kellerman - another psychological thriller, couldn't put down... 8. Notes from the Internet Apocalypse by Wayne Gladstone - strange what if?, concerning the pervasiveness of the Internet 9. Natchez Burning (Penn Cage) by Greg Isles - disturbing look in the south... 10. The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson - fascinating history of the computer age... 11. Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the Obamas by Edward Klein - behind the scenes of two of the most famous families in the world... 12. Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life by Tom Robbins - life long account as only he can describe his life... 13. Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk - bizarre look at the obsession those have for pleasure.... 14. Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett - finishes the 20th Century trilogy in grand style... 15. Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner - they're back, and they show how to use their principles in everyday life... 16. The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry - fascinating history on one of the most famous, yet misunderstood men in history.... 17. The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman - the inner workings of an old bookstore and its inhabitants... 18. One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future by Candy Carson and Ben Carson - very poignant story about an unassuming man and his craft... 19. When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II by Molly Manning - interesting coverage of what the GIs brought with them to war.... 20. A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas Warren Berger - unique perspective on the questions we should ask to get the answers we want... Honorary mention: The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by Daniel Levitin