As a 17-year-old I thought that I was all grown up and ready to tackle the world. Looking back now, I realize that I was just a youngster then, still wet behind the ears.
The childhood memory that still lives with me to this day occurred on graduation night.
Following the graduation ceremony, I was all pumped up for the parties that I knew would follow.
There was just one other matter that I had to attend to before joining my friends in the festivities.
I needed to return home and meet with a gentleman from the St Louis Cardinals baseball organization.
To this day I can still see Joe Garland's face, the baseball scout with the Cardinals, sitting across from me as I listened to his proposal to sign a minor league contract.
I had been drafted by the St Louis Cardinals as a pitcher and all I needed to do was put my signature on the dotted line and I would be boarding a plane in the morning.
Here is a link to the 1970 Baseball Draft published by Baseball Almanac.
I was drafted as a junior and the time to make a decision was now upon me.
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/draft/baseball-draft.php?yr=1970
Being so young, the whole idea of leaving home, especially a day after graduating from high school was a little overwhelming.
After Mr. Garland left our home that evening, my Dad and I once again went over the pros and cons of signing the contract presented to me.
I was drafted at #816 overall in that year's baseball draft.
Being so young, we both felt that if I attended college and played baseball while there, my draft status would only improve, if I was truly capable of playing a game I loved, for money.
After playing college baseball for my first two years in school, things were going as planned. Every time I was on the mound, more and more baseball scouts were in attendance and my status was climbing with every pitch I hurled.
Well, as they say, The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
I also played college basketball and halfway through my junior year of school I experienced a very unfortunate accident while playing hoops. While in the air, trying to secure a rebound, I had my legs taken from underneath me. While trying to break my fall I came down on my right arm, shattering my ulna with the other bone in my forearm, the radius, sticking out of my arm.
Game over, from that day forward I never threw another pitch.
My dream of one day playing professional baseball was shattered, along with my arm.
There would be no more professional scouts beckoning for my services.
That accident must have been devastating. I hope there is a silver lining from that horrible accident.
After 46 years I'm still HAPPILY married to the silver lining.
I'm not sure how things would've worked out if I left home to play baseball. No amount of money could replace what I have now and have had for almost a half of a century, a partner like no other!
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BEER.Sometimes accidents happen, we know not why, change in direction for the future may never reveal itself. Fortunately we cannot go back and see where it may have taken you if the path had opened up.
Thanks for sharing, breaking bones when young come to haunt you in old age every time the weather turns cold.
The whole situation couldn't have worked out any better. One thing that happened after the injury was that I became a real student, graduating with honors and going on to get my master's degree in special education.
I look at life like sailing a vessel without a rudder. To a great degree, the winds of life take you where they will and your actions will determine
how things play out.
The broken bones I've had over the years let me know when it's going to rain.😁
Life steers us in an unknown direction, ever changing fortunately boredom seldom steps in, we just keep pace.
Broken bones or creaking down passages, most times we realize why. We cannot change the past so sharing adventures, we all so different...
Boredom, what is that, nothing more than a waste of time.
In a previous comment, I compared living to sailing, with the wind howling and the vessel you're aboard has no rudder. Life takes us in many directions and making the best of the situation is vital if one is to enjoy the journey.
Well said, rough seas then those calm days milling around, boredom is not a word, me thinks...
That must have been heart rending. One does wonder what you would have become had you signed at graduation, what your life would have looked like.
But it looks like you made the very best of what you were given, because look what you have now!
It was hard to deal with for a while, but what came from that event was a blessing.
What I have now is like living a dream come true. A guy couldn't ask for much more, except maybe a few less weeds in the garden.
I figured that with your expertise in gardening, you would be the one to present this question to.
This year our apple trees had more flowers on them than ever before. Hundreds of the flowers set fruit. We were all excited to get the very first apples from the trees we planted 5 or 6 years ago. But over the past few months, all of the fruit developed what looks like canker sores. I know the damage was not from insects as I check the trees daily. I've got a feeling it may be the result of a nutrient deficiency.
Do you have any advice?
Thanks!
I actually know very little about fruit trees. I planted the McIntosh and crab apple about 25+ years ago, and outside of sporadically getting the Mac pruned, haven't done anything for them. They were properly pruned this year, and I also have a ZILLION apples, only the 2nd time since the tree was planted has this happened.
I have not idea why it's producing so well this year, and many of the apples will have spots and scars and worms and things. I haven't a clue what the various things are nor the brain to figure out how to prevent it. I avoid spraying at all costs.
I would suggest going to Fedco's Tree section and looking into their various things to feed the trees. Healthy well fed trees will resist pests more easily. You may also find something to do about whatever your critter is that's after the apples.
Thank you for getting back to me.
We tried growing a few apple trees years ago and had no luck with them, but the wild apple trees in this area are all over the place and chock full of apples every year. They are somewhat bitter but are great for juicing and apple pies.
I'll look into it further, starting where you suggested, Fedco's trees.
If I get an answer, I'll get back to you.
Destiny my friend, as that is what I call it. At times our plans are shattered as there is always something else waiting for us. In your case it was @farm-mom and a stable worthy life.
I wonder if you were saved from landing on your head and breaking your neck in a future match?
Many dangers lurk in the popular professional life and my mom was wise when she refused an offer for me to enter the professional boxing ranks.
Such is life, as they say that we make our plans and then life happens.
Cheers and !BEER, oh, and also give @farm-mom some !LUV
@thebigsweed, you've been given LUV from @papilloncharity.
Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (1/5)
Then life happens, truer words have never been spoken. @thebigsweed 's decision to turn down the offer changed the course of his life as well as mine. I couldn't be happier, but at the time I was blown away when he told me I was a big part of that choice. So I remained his biggest cheerleader through his college years and beyond.
We are in the groove.
Yep, let's just say that you two were made for each other amd we have several elderly couples here that have been together all of their lives. But it remais rare nowadays as people has changed.
Now in the prime of your lives, it's the best gift that you can ever have.
So, you are indeed in the groove. Tried, tested and trusted.
Blessings and have some !PIZZA
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Destiny is exactly how I have looked at the situation for many years now.
Having @farm-mom by my side for the past 46 years is worth all of the money in the world.
We make what we will from a bad situation. Looking for a silver lining when a bump in the road takes you by surprise is the only way to live.
Things sure would have played out differently if the accident didn't occur, but I know that I would not have been happier than I am now and have been for years.
I don't think it would have taken too much convincing by my parents to put boxing on the back burner, probably none.
I'll be sure to give my better half a little extra Luv today.
Thank you for the Luv, my friend I'll cheer to that.
I can't imagine my life without you. You are the jelly to my peanut butter. Thanks for being my friend.
Two is always better, as when one falls, the other can help them up. I am sure that you have heard this before.
And the two has become one. A guy said on the church stage that he has been married for 45 years.
The congregation clapped and whistled their congratulations.
The he said that he had been married to seven different women during those 45 years.
You can imagine the congregation's disgust.
It was only a joke and he proceeded to preach about the wayward life that so many of us lead in these "modern" times. You guys are a lesson for many methinks.
I can see that you cherish each other and life placed both of you on the correct road, with help from above of course. That accident was meant to happen my friend.
Cheers and !BEER
You are so right, two is always better than one at least in our case! Funny stuff, married seven times for a total of 45 years, I would have loved to see the congregation's reaction, it must have been hilarious once he announced he was only joking.
The road that we have traveled as a loving couple has always been paved with respect and understanding of each other's differences.
Life is good, and I appreciate what I have more every day.
My eldest took her family to live in the UK and I believe the other two will also soon disappear.
But such is life and I don't interfere in their lives.
I would also love to have seen their reactions as one could hear a pin drop after his announcement of the many wives. It was an opening for his sermon on our love to judge. For as you judge so you shall be judged. We don't know what is going on in the hearts of others.
That is certainly the way to walk the road as you guys are perfect examples to be followed by your children and everyone else for that matter. And I bet that your children are already doing this.
Life is a blessing and appreciation is a skill that not many have.
Cheers and have a !BEER on me.
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BEER.Oh no! I imagine that is a moment you play over and over in your head. I hope it isn't, because I can't bear the thought even in my own head.
Tell me you went on to do something else you loved, for money!
At the time it was very hard to deal with, but things have turned out for the bettyer. If i would have had the opportunity to make a living playing baseball, I may have missed out on the thing I treasure the most in my life, @farm-mom.
I taught special education for 30 years and absolutely loved every minute of it.
Now, I didn't make quite as much loot as a pro baseball player made, but who needs too much of that dirty paper anyway😁!
Yeah. You would have lived in an entirely different world.
When you were deciding with your father, what were the cons? I'm wondering...
The biggest negative was the fact that I wouldn't be able to play basketball in college.
The university I went to was governed by the NCAA and at the time if an athlete got paid to play any sport, the signing of a professional contract would exclude that person from playing any other sport in college.
To be totally frank with you, I was not a very good student in H.S. and the only reason I was accepted into college was because of basketball and baseball.
Sports is what got me into school and kept me in school.
After my injury, knowing that baseball was over for me, I continued to play hoops and I got real serious about school. At that point I majored in special education and went on to get my master's degree, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. In my first two years, I was constantly on academic probation.
I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy and looking back at it all over the years, things worked out great!
Have a wonderful day and thanks for the wonderful replies.
Well now, that was a blast from the past. You and your glass half full philosophy, always admired that about you. You have taught me well over the years, I wouldn't change a thing.👄 ❤️
Oh no, that must have been awfully painful. not only physically bur also mentally BUT I believe things happen for a reason, and perhaps you would not have met your sweetheart had you gone on to paly professional baseball? Life certainly takes us on strange pathways but often we see why things happened the way they did!
Shiiit! That's such a sad story, all I can say to you is that you did pretty well even without becoming a pro. Plus, you are a pro at plenty of other things, so leave some for others please 😄
Interesting thought; Would you have met your wife if you didn't fall that day on the basketball pitch?
Things definitely worked out for the best. If I'm honest with myself, part of the reason for not signing that contract was that I had already met my wife. We had been seeing each other for over a year when this opportunity came about.
I guess I was already in Luv.
That's even better, to know that you went for love. It's the most rewarding feeling in the world. Even at the highest of my career, I never felt high as when I was high on love. I still am 😁
Haha hippies, go hug a tree already (Maple)
To love and be loved in return, there's nothing like it. So many people feel that the grass may be greener on the other side and throw in the towel before ever giving the relationship a chance. The worst is when children are in the middle of all of the confusion.
We are the fortunate ones, still in love and building on that relationship every day.
I hug so many trees, the wife is getting a little jealous.
good hearing from you buddy!