Winds Of The New Year

The other day I was driving home when I saw a sad sight at least to me. I'm sure you'll be able to relate to this and maybe even think of an example or two in your own life. There is a huge house not far from where I live that sits in a rural setting of sorts. It's on a large piece property and I think the inhabitants of this dwelling would certainly qualify to be the "other half."

In the front of their lot is an old wooden baseball backstop not far from the road, a long way from the house so no windows could get broken from even the most behemoth of home runs. It looks like someone years ago forged this out of heavy lumber, thick poles, and love. It has been there my whole life and probably beyond that. I notice it every time I drive by because how many homes have a backstop and their own ball field like them? Well the straight winds of New Years Eve blew the old backstop down to the ground. Snapped off at the legs. Shame too. They had just refurbished the old backstop and painted it a nice green. It has been restored many times, but this injury could be fatal.

To be honest, I never saw one baseball game going on there in all my years of driving by this monster of a house. Maybe that was part of the allure. A ball field from years gone by. I stopped to look at the ruins yesterday and wondered how many pick up games were played there. "I get first pick.......ghost man on second.....four fouls and you're out.....I always get picked last.....if it hits the tree, it's a home run!" You remember all of these, and they ran through me as I thought of all the kids that once played there. They were probably all parents or grandparents by now.

How many hot summer afternoons were spent there? How much of a treat was it for the non members of that house to have their own private ball field complete with a backstop? No more running after foul balls and errant pitches. I'm thinking one of two things here. Either this is the same family that has kept up this beautiful backstop all these years because their kids played there, or subsequent homeowners have chosen to keep the backstop for no other reason than no one had the heart to tear it down. I'm good with either one.

I always feel a little sad whenever I see a few things change or disappear from our landscape. A school that has been closed, on old movie theater, an old stadium, and even an amusement park. I think these feelings are normal and they really move us all. When we see the end of an era for a physical place that was built specifically for our learning or fun, you can't help but feel a loss. I know many schools have become homes for the aged, movie theaters become new stores, stadiums many times give way to newer ones, and amusement parks....just die hard. But no matter what they become, it's just not the same.

I will miss driving by and seeing the old wooden backstop. This time I fear they will not salvage the home made structure. I sense this is the end. BUT if the dreams of games yet to be, and the memories of games played long ago are just too precious to part with, call me and I'll help set the posts.