Remembering Wonderful Days Gone By 3/28/13

Iimage: "Field and Country: New Wheat" by
 Tim Blessed.All rights reserved, used by permission.

      Hi there.  Many suffer from frustration, despair and depression.  I know, because----on a daily basis---- I help people who struggle with these weights upon their souls.

      I'm lucky, I'm aware of healthy alternatives that allow me to transcend and even thrive during dark night of the soul moments.  I've learned that I have
choices.  There are dynamic, positive steps I can take to overcome adversity. If you search through my blog you'll find some alternatives you might want to consider, too.

     Thank you, for dropping by.  I was not too regular in my posting, earlier this month. I was without my computer, borrowing from others, when I could.  As you can see, I'm back at it.

Gratitudes for Today:
1.  I love my profession.  I'm glad I help others become who they want to be.
2.  I rode my bike today.  The weather was warm, comfortably so.  I rode in short sleeves.  There's no humidity or mosquitoes where I live.
3.  The town I've adopted is a marvelous place to live.  It's terrific living on an island. The gorgeous unobstructed sunsets along the shoreline, the many kind people I encounter while cycling and the calm nature of this place nurtures me.

A member on the Alameda High  baseball team.

Mulling Over A Baseball Game
Remembering Glorious Days Gone By

      In the middle of my workday, I took in a local baseball game, an advantage of owning a business.  I watched a contest between Alameda High, the Hornets and Hayward High, the Farmers.

     It hearkened back memories of playing Little League baseball.  I pitched and played left field. I made good contact when hitting and I got on base----a lot, using speed to leg out a hit.  I would run quickly around the bases. Eventually I was a sprinter in high school (400, 800 meters, even the 100, on occasion).

    I remember the scratchy baseball cap, the smell of leather from my glove and the slapping, firm, sound of  ball hit hard, caught in the web of my glove.  Taunts to opposing players (common back then), fond reveries of sprinting in the outfield, and successfully diving for a catch----like the Angel Pagan, to the right of these words----floated back to the halls of my mind while watching the young men play today.

    Other than the use of aluminum bats, the game hasn't changed at all.

3. I'm thankful for celebrating community with many on the bleachers, pleasant remembrances and the sights and sounds of America's game. I appreciate it's leisurely pace.  Baseball is a remnant of a former time in American life when it did not race, as it does now, if we are not careful.
4.  Groceries were gotten, without using a car.
     It's thirteen months and I have not driven one mile.  I regularly ride twenty-four miles (38.6 km) in a day. I sleep, feel better and it discharges life's stresses from my mortal coil.

Not Wearing Cowboy Boots---Am I Glad

    Patience and being gentle towards myself does wonders for my spirit and peace of mind.  For a long time I couldn't wear cowboy boots, if I wanted to.  (For more about that, you can read here.  This posting is also good  to review when we are being harsh towards ourselves.)  I have issues demanding  attention.  Being realistic about my priorities and how much I can do gives me perspective.  Pacing myself provides me with greater serenity.
6.  Today, I met with someone I mentor.  The time we shared was intimate, positive and constructive. I'm glad I could be of service.  What we discussed was good for me, too.  It's good revisiting areas often overlooked. Today we examined making excuses for those vulnerable areas in our lives.
7.  I'm meeting with another person I mentor tomorrow, we'll wheel around through town, cycling. Afterwards we eat at Jim's Diner while focusing on my mentee's needs. It's always a great time, he's a nice guy with a warm smile.

How About You? 
What are some of your favorite memories of your youth? I'd love hearing them.