243, Baseball and how it never goes away

Today is America's 243 Birthday and 1976 doesn't seem that long ago but it has been 43 years since we celebrated our bicentennial.
In November of that year we elected Jimmy Carter President.

President Carter's legacy will be formed by what he's done after holding that office for four years.

In 7 years we will celebrate a 250th national birthday and the year will be 2026.

There's no sugar coating it......I will be 80 and the only question I can ask myself is....

                     will I be here to celebrate?

It's not a morbid question due to the fact that once you reach a certain age (I suspect that age is 70) then mortality becomes a reality and them's the facts folks.

I'm looking forward to the 2028 Olympics here in Los Angeles so there's a part of me that has to believe I'll still be slicing the golf ball a few times each round.

I'm also extremely looking forward to the 2024 Presidential election because I know Donald Trump won't be running.

The sad part of that statement is me resolving to a certain reality that I didn't think possible.

In that statement I'm accepting the simple fact that President "Twit" could actually win in 2020.

As I watch the Democrats go about attacking each other and giving the "Twit" more ammunition with which to attack whoever is left......I realize that his ability to degrade other people might be some of the best degrading I've ever witnessed in politics.   

That's a problem when your base likes that style of campaigning.

He might be the biggest asshole who's ever run for President....and we live in a time when assholes seem to be an acceptable part of our national psyche....and they also seem to be rather abundant.

Combine Donald Trump with Mitch McConnell and you might have an adult Chucky.

**********

Baseball came into national prominence this week ( keep in mind that not everybody follows baseball....which I know seems really silly, but it's true) not because of something that happen on the field but because a 27 year athlete mysteriously died in his hotel room.

Tyler Skaggs was a Santa Monica legendary baseball player who was currently employed by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (I think that's the actual name).

The Angels have a history of players passing away in their prime of life.  When I say a history I mean I can't think of another team that has had multiple active players pass away.

I knew another baseball player from Santa Monica......
and just as I wrote those words an earthquake rattled a few things in the house....not sure where it was located but I'm still going to finish my thought.

I knew another baseball player from Santa Monica who passed away in 1994 and altered my life forever.

And yes my friends when you lose a teen-age child the trauma and the drama never actually disappears.....especially if you have other children, or grandchildren.

The trauma and the drama I'm referring to centers around the simple fact that you never ever ever ever stop worrying about something horrible happening again.

I read that 16,000 plus teenagers die every year so it is a pretty small fraternity.  I obviously can't contact 16,000 parents but I'm pretty sure that any of us with other children go through the same trauma and drama episodes.

It never goes away......but let me explain 
one 
very important element

IT'S NOT ALWAYS PRESENT.
But
It never goes away

It lurks right behind the veil of reality
kind of like a shadow
like a muted voice
just waiting
watching
reminding

It's a mean little fucker that just never goes away.

You can laugh and you can make other people laugh but that
trauma/drama apprehensive moment
just
never
goes
away

In the meantime

HAVE A SAFE AND COLORFUL
4TH OF JULY

Michael Timothy McAlevey