But Then What Happened?

I should clarify something at this point. These feelings and thoughts about Jeana were not 24/7. It was not an obsession. They generally resided in the back of my mind. I went about my life in a relatively normal fashion and built my relationship with my girlfriend as one would. But on occasion, I would be struck with these thoughts about that pretty, blonde haired girl. I graduated from high school in June of 1977. Jan and I were still together. We had been an item for nearly two years at that point and people were beginning to get the idea that we would eventually get married. I suppose that was a reasonable assumption. I was starting to think the same thing. Baptist Community Bible Church was the hub of my activities and social life. We had a very active youth group that had a Sunday School class on Sunday mornings, youth choir and youth group meetings on Sunday nights, a Wednesday night church service, Thursday night volleyball and then other regular activities most wee...

We pulled into her driveway and I turned the engine off. 2735 Walker Avenue, Ontario, California. (You have to be impressed that I still remember that address after all these years) The early afternoon, Southern California sun was shining brightly. It was late in the year, 1979… October or maybe it was November. I’m not sure. I just knew that we hadn’t been dating very long… two or three months at the most. I tried stalling her as best I could. I didn’t want her to go in yet. So, I searched my mind for interesting or clever things to say. What I really wanted to communicate was how deeply I felt about her. Man, I was totally smitten with this girl. She had everything a guy could want. She was beautiful, charming, smart, charismatic, enthusiastic, energetic, extroverted, very well-liked by everyone and she was sincerely committed to her faith… our faith. But it was too soon for the “L” word, right? I mean, common sense relationship rules forbid declarations of “love” dur...

The 2018 Seniors Official practices began in February of 2018 for Bryce’s senior baseball season. The last rodeo. Man… I was not ready for this to end. Adding to the emotions of this final season was the fact that he had decided about a year earlier that he would not be seeking to play baseball in college. That revelation hurt a little bit. He had certainly developed his skill-set to the point where he could have played college ball somewhere. But this was his life and his choice. I did my best to mask my disappointment. I had visions of four more years of chasing him around the country as he played at the next level… just as I had with three of his sisters. But this was totally selfish on my part. He didn’t make the wrong decision. He made the decision that best suited his plans for the immediate future. Good for him. But… ugh! We started the season in Kentucky, just east of Louisville. And… not much went right, unfortunately. Mother Nature decided she was goin...

Bryce played with the Ohio Hitmen during the summer of 2017. They were coached by Tony Tupta and Bryce loved Tony’s coaching style. Very knowledgeable about the game, good teacher, almost always upbeat and encouraging and Tony had a great sense of humor. He also valued Bryce’s ability and his contribution to the team. Bryce felt respected and appreciated. The Hitmen had a very good collection of talent and the players got along really well.  Their very first game of the tournament season, they faced a team from Pittsburgh that had been a nemesis to the Hitmen in recent years. Bryce started in center field but was summoned to the mound in the second inning as the starting pitcher was struggling and the Hitmen had fallen behind. Bryce had a great initial pitching appearance for the team as he quieted the opponent’s bats enough for the Hitmen to catch up and push the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Bryce had a walk-off, RBI single, giving the Hi...