Gandalf said, “All good stories deserve a little embellishment.”
If what Gandalf said is true, then Aaron (Day #170) drove from Jacksonville, Florida to Springfield, Missouri on his way to Nashville, Tennessee to play catch with me.
“So, I might have broken a toe this morning,” Aaron said.
Broken toes are not funny. I don’t know if I ever officially broken one, but I’ve had a few horribly bruised toes thanks to bed frames and dressers and proprioception that was just a little bit off. Every step is a reminder of how important little toes are to overall balance and walkability.
Aaron is on his way to Nashville to teach next week at music school, and his students don’t know how lucky they are. His smooth tenor voice has accompanied and motivated me before several games of catch, “Be courageous.” I loved jamming with him in his creative room in Florida and wished we had time to reciprocate today.
We wore the same t-shirt and ordered the same meal and sighed the same sighs talking about our firstborns entering their senior years in high school.
After lunch, we drove to the field adjacent to Hammons Field, the next best thing to playing catch on one of the best-groomed fields in the minor leagues. Knuckleballs and pop-ups and sliders and curveballs and Aaron didn’t make a single grimace. Catchers are just built tough.
“We still haven’t practiced turning two,” Aaron said.
“Or throws to second,” I replied.
Gandalf also said, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
There are still 156 days left in 2018.
This story is still going on.
(Photo credit to Teri.)
Side note: Congratulations to Sophie who took 4th place in sparring in her first Tae Kwon Do tournament this morning! She was the lowest belt competing against girls one and two belts above her! I was a nervous wreck watching her, but she fought with heart and great courage.
