A Rainy Day Flashback

I've learned that a daily 30-minute walk helps me physically, mentally and emotionally. I'm addicted to the routine especially in these unprecedented times. Yesterday, I found myself in the home stretch of my walk when suddenly a thunderstorm blew up and caught me in a temperature cooling rain the final ten minutes. I had left the house with the thermometer reading 91-degrees and by the time I returned home, toweled-off and changed T-shirts, I was sitting on the front porch enjoying rain drops midst a mild 78-degrees.

As I sat there stroking Toy Poodle Yodie's head, I had a flashback in time when I was eleven years old...why, I'm not sure except on such a summer stormy day in 1950, I'd find a spot on the screened back porch and do that homemade spinner baseball game, flipping those bubble-gum baseball cards, which had been arranged in a batting order. It may not have been the best of times during my journey but it was indeed the most worry-free of times.

From age eleven until thirteen, if I wasn't throwing a tennis ball against the front steps, playing side-street softball or Cards & Browns (Indian BaseBall) at St. Martin's Catholic Church lot, I was engaged in the East St. Louis Jaycee (Youth) League baseball. When the sun finally abandoned me, I switched on the backyard flood lights and shot baskets until the nine o'clock whistle blew or the Washington Park police stopped by to tell me they got a complaint from motorist that our flood lights blinded them. Didn't happen often but enough!

At age 14 & 15, I had expanded the competitive geographical territory as high school sports held scheduled demands and free time placed me in open gym competition...always seeking the next game. Things changed somewhat when I became 16, because back in the day a sixteen year old boy got a summer job. Now, I had to get those basketball shots up between 6PM to 9PM...thank goodness I had a girlfriend who understood and even on ocassion, she'd 'rebound!'

As the song lyrics proclaim:
"Once upon a time the world was sweeter than we knew,
Everything was ours, so happy we were then;
 But once upon a time, never comes again."

Yep, yesterday as the stormy, rainy winds blew across my front yard, I sat on the porch and thought, 'You were one lucky guy, Mel Roustio.' Got to do what you wanted to do throughout your journey and blessed along the way.'

I hope you flashbacks are equally pleasing to visit.