And there I was............

I was taken to a place
The hall of the mountain kings
I stood high by the mountain tops
Naked to the world

No, dangit, that ain't it.  Fully clothed, I'd just got off work.  Just getting off work at 71 is a tad differn't than at 17.  17 getting off work is "Mark, set, go... we're off"...  71 getting off work is nap, the want of a massage... shoes off..  that.  I'm sure, if we men wore bras, that'd go early too.

I'd gotten off work.......... Driven to one of our Parks in town. I do that, for relaxation. I sometimes enjoy 'alone'..  I park under a shade tree... let 3 of my 4 car windows down (me and cars with electric windows have a long running fued)....Sometimes the peepers do close, I zonk, and yes, a time or three I've left the car radio on..... "Tom... {or} Bill... is there any way you can gimme a jumpstart?

I have WONDERFUL recall of the Parks in our City as a kid.  Victor?  Will this take long?  I've got bacon sizzling on the stove.. the coffee's ready, I'm hungry (bored)"  I'll hurry, sorry.

Almost total recall:  90+ degree days, bike with ballglove on handlebar, grass stains, ironed on patches on knees because, well, just because.  Comeraderie, occasional "Out" "NO, SAFE", ne'er any fistacuffs...simply, wonderful, countless, fun filled hours.

And then...... ELECTRONICS HAPPENED.   Victor, is this where you lecture on "Why, back in MY day......."?  I already did, see above.  This is where we talk about changing times. Today is, "My dad told me he and his friends usedta spend all day outside in 90 degree heat playing baseball, wiffle ball, touch football, you name it, they played it. I don't get it. I much prefer Atari, the AC set on 70, and a cupboard fulla Ho Ho's and Twinkies.  Besides that........ listen..  shhhhhhhhh...  there ain't no adults near us down here in the rec room. Is life good or what?"

Back to the park. Shelter houses..  oh, you'll see an occasional throng of snotnoses devouring cake and ice cream for Johnny's Birthday...  tykes tromping around the slides and the swings... there was a small skateboard place where every once in awhile one would come, practice a Backside Ollie... .as a whole.. the tennis courts and ballfield sit empty. I dunno, maybe since Y2K or so. The times they done changed.

OK, under the shade tree. I was almost to the point of nodding off, only to probably awaken ten minutes later to "wherethehell am I"..  and I hear a couple twerps (said lovingly) ride up on their bikes.  Jimmy?  You got the ball?   Yep, Liam's bringing the bat.. and Ethan has the four bases.  Say it ain't so, a genuine, bonified, pickup baseball game? 

Thanks for the ride mom, we know, we know, Spaghetti at 7, we'll be home by then. It's the Smiths'! YIPEE!  It was kinda surreal.  Like Field of Dreams with no corn.  One by one, sometimes two, they came....  Sing it baby, "There was long ones, tall ones, short ones, brown ones, Black ones, round ones, big deal ones... Prolly  20 or so of 'em.  It was a Wiffle Ball Flash Mob.  I don't smoke pot. I don't care if you do, I'd even prefer my own son to smoke pot (if he's gotta do some vice) rather than drink liquor...  Where are you going with this Victor?  THIS, little kids gathering, excited about a pickup game, THAT, a Wiffle Ball Flash Mob, that gets me high.

I was parked (perked) and listened, watched for maybe 45 minutes or so.  They got along, didn't really argue, "You're the commissioner, we'll go with however you see it." They ran, slid, sweated, laughed, high fived, fist bumped... you couldn't tell who was ahead or behind.. it was genuinely 1960-something, fast forwarded to today. Most importantly, they enjoyed.

Color me happy.

Then, today........ I open the paper.  Victor, you don't get paper any longer, you do the E thingy.  Oh yeah, thanks.  So, I clicked the link.  A story about.......... (RIGHT HERE IN RIVER CITY)...... 

"ROYALS STAR JOINS WIFFLE BALL GAME"

Nuh uh.  Uh huh, did.  Apparently, with an off day, Salvadore Perez, the oldest player our our team, a beloved, always gotta smile on his face, happy dude... he'd driven thru a neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas (Yes outtatowners, there's one'a each, KC, MO and KC, KS).. Saw ten kids playing Wiffle ball.  Stop, parked,  joined  in.

"Hey guys, can I play?"    Guys, that's Salvy!  One kiddo dialed up his dad to tell him..  another ran inside and announced to all within earshot "SALVY FREAKING PEREZ IS IN OUR BACKYARD!"

After a few innings, Salvy himself organized a group picture... and then he was off..  Amazing (to me anyways).....

I'll never grow up (Sorry, kinda, not really)..  I ain't real sure if Salvy will either (I view that a good thing.)

The way I see it...  what better than keeling with the body of a real old fart and the brain, outlook, love, and the zest for life of a ten year old.

I could feel hot flames of fire roaring at my back. (To everything, urn, urn, urn)

Spill the wine baby... oh, they do it in that one church..  why not have a quick glass.

Love, Victurd