America's Favorite Past Time

I don't know who started calling baseball that, but I don't get it. I know that there are people out there that love baseball. It's just a little slow for me.

I did like the one Texas Rangers game I went to with my sister. The owners of the company that she worked for at the time had season tickets and couldn't go one night. So she got the tickets to the game and off we went. Springs and summers in Texas are a little like the ones here. They can be very stormy. They haven't been the last couple of years, but they were that night. And I never had a better time. Thunder booming, lightning crashing, beer buzzing. It was a great night to be with my big sis.

My friend Ruthie and I used to toss a baseball in her front yard. Ruthie was the one that I spent most of my time with. At one point she was dating her neighbor. I never saw the attraction, but I didn't date him. I dated his friend. He was a cutie. And, oh so BAD boy. Hold on, hot flash. I'm sorry, what? Oh, sorry, the blog. Tossing the ball? Yeah, yeah, anyway.

I don't even remember who found the gloves and the ball. It was probably her. That was the summer that I stayed with her all summer. That was in the top three best summers of my life. Have you ever had one of those friends that you could spend every hour of every day with? Someone other than your spouse. Ruthie would be that one for me. She taught me how to catch and how to hold my hand over the ball. She taught me how to leap and jump and dive and get grass stains on my knees and shorts. But I loved it. We would toss the ball and talk. And talk and talk and talk. And sometimes we would talk without saying a word. Sometimes we would just look at each other and know what the other was thinking. It was cool, and I miss that.

We played softball together two years in a row. I don't know how she talked me into it, but damned if she did. And I loved it. I think she wanted to play, but knew she had to drag me along. But I loved that, too. She was so good at every thing she tried, while most of the time I was too chicken. Can you believe that? That was the first time I had ever been hit on by a lesbian. That was nice, too. Ruthie and I would ride to practice together. I didn't have a car or a license so she had to do all the driving. And we would talk and listen to music. And talk. And talk.

Hubby was working outside yesterday and it was starting to get dark. The kids had come in and I had been working on the computer. You know, working. That translates into playing games and piddling on line. He snuck into our bedroom and asked if I wanted to get the gloves out. We had bought him a new glove several months ago and haven't had the chance to use it. But we did yesterday.

We stood outside in the gorgeous blue, purple, pinks, and oranges of the setting sun, and the frothy clouds that kicked up a cool wind and tossed the ball. We both had to get acquainted to the feel of the glove and the thump of the ball, me longer than him. But it was so nice to just spend that time together, talking. And talking. And talking. And sometimes not saying a word, but knowing exactly what the other was thinking. And enjoying each other. We laughed and ran and jumped and leaped. And then I got better. My arm was tired when we were done, and my shoulder is a little achy, but it was wonderful.

So I guess that maybe baseball is America's favorite past time. Or maybe just tossing the ball and spending time is. If it's not, it should be. And I am very blessed to have so many people that I call friend.