Wanamassa vs. Matawan Fathers' Day

 

Samson's team, the Wanamassa Surge is pumped for the championship game versus the Matawan Huskies. Samson is James' cousin and he's one year ahead of James in school. He is in first grade. The big game is on Father's day. The game will be a home field advantage for Wanamassa at Colt's Field. 

The Huskies bring walk up music and intimidating black uniforms to psych out thier foes. Both teams show that they have skill and are well coached to work as a team. Both teams are learning to throw and catch and think about plays. All players are swinging for the fences in hopes of bringing in runs. 

Samson's fan section is significant and includes mom (Autumn), dad (Perry), maternal grandmother (Virginia) and her husband (Greg). Greg is a convenient substitute for our broadcast booth since he is familiar with the rules in this league of first graders and is paying close attention the the score that can ramp up quickly due to fielding errors of these developing stars. 

   

This Father's Day began with a round of golf with Samson's dad (Perry) and my son (Ben) and me (Wes) at the William F. Larkin Golf Course at Colonial Terrace. Perry was an accomplished ball player in college and a D-3 College World Series Campion. The Samson fan base included his mom (Autumn) and Dad (Perry) along with Perry's parents, paternal grandparents Deborah and David Schatzow and our matriarch (great grandmother Toby Stevens). Samson's cousin James Morgan was there too - with his mom (Allison) and dad (Ben). 

James was part of the fan section but distracted by thoughts of so many activities this week, the last week of Kindergarten. Maternal Grandmother (Jean) and paternal Grandfather Papa Wes, that's me - James' dad's dad). Among the things James has on his mind this week: School Field Day/Picnic, Lemonade Day, Ice Cream Day, and more. 

The Surge was poised and played excellent defence in spite of the score reaching a tie at 9-9. The Surge got the lead of 14-9. The rules resulted in the Huskies having the last at bat but the Surge showed how well they were coached - staying focused and poised and defending thier win. 

Father-Son photos and excited players and fans erupted but only after both teams showed judgement and class of shaking hands. Congrats to Samson and the Surge and the opposing team the Matawan Huskies. 

  

 

  

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Magnolia Marine – Golf, Crawfish and Benbow City Shuffle

 

Golfer Band: Tom Shaughnessy, Dave Cox, Rowdy Jones, Wes Morgan and Marco Tocco

Dave Shogren’s band, Benbow City Shuffle has a gig on May 5, 2023 at Cloverleaf Golf Course in Alton, Illinois. It seems like an ideal time to get the “band” back together. Magnolia Marine Transport is incredible corporate sponsor of the event. It is a Friday that feels like a holiday and it includes Dave (the Benbow City Shuffle base player with lovely roadie-wife Linda) and another Dave (Rowdy Golfer). I have been fortunate with a number of friends named Dave in my episodic life. Dave the base player and incoming American Marketing Association Saint Louis chapter president and Dave the founder of Sandbox Creative are part of this day’s amazing confluence of events.

The “band” of golfers is Rowdy Jones, Tom Shaughnessy, Dave Cox and Wes Morgan. This metaphorical band of brothers share a bond that dates back decades to Rowdy Golf Weekends at the Lake of the Ozarks (beginning circa 2001). Our foursome recalls old memories while we manufacture a batch of new ones. This time, we’ve invited “studio musician” a la Billy Preston - Marco Tocco. A couple of marketing professors from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis were slated to join us too. (The UMSL team couldn’t make it due to some academic politics, however, called for their leadership and attention. Perry Drake PhD and Michael Elliott – you were missed.)

Michael Elliott, UMSL Marketing professor warned me that this course had small greens and tight lies. He was right. But the two-man scramble format with Marco Tocco as 50/50 bonus player assured that both of our teams amounted to above par play and exceptional camaraderie. I wish Dr. Drake could have been there to compare stories of broken bones and surgery endurance and recovery with with Marco.

 

The forecast was 90% chance of rain. I am somehow blessed this year, however, as rain was not a factor in Alton, Illinois this day. The sun even came out as our shotgun start on #14 meant that we finished with a smiles and multiple shot attempts to make the par 3 to a short 120 yard island green. It wasn’t Sawgrass but it felt like we were all gunning for spots on the PGA or maybe the LIV tour. 

Generous portions of sides and crawfish alternatives were served as families, girlfriends and kids joined in the picnic atmosphere in the sunshine. At about 4:00 Benbow City Shuffle entertained on the patio with breaks for two raffles – one for kids (toys and games) and the second for adults (electronics, 55” TV sets, and more).

Benbow City Shuffle with guest harmonica player from Magnolia Marine play on patio at Cloverleaf Golf Course in Alton, Illinois. That's Dave Shogren on base, Rich Stewart on keyboards, golden throated Al Funk on harmonice and, for this performance, Paul Jarvis on the drums.

I continue to live a life of good fortune, amazing friends and some sort of divine intervention. God, I am grateful!

Forget-me-not Grammy Lawton

 

Please send me some information about your state as I am studying it in school.

This was essentially the content of the letter I wrote to dozens of state capitals when I was in 5^th grade (around 1966-67). It was not technically true that the St Luke School curriculum included any particular focus on one state or another. I just somehow discovered that such a letter would generate a variety of cool stuff via the U. S. Mail. I was just thrilled at the activity generated. I would get books on tourism, copies of state constitutions, stickers, state flags, maps, premium items and lots of other fun stuff in response. It doesn’t take much to impress a pre-teen in the mail, I guess.

In any event, I was well prepared for a school assignment that was to be about a state of our choice. The assignment coincided with the week of my maternal grandmother’s wake. Mom was determined to honor her mom with an Irish style celebration of life at our house on Edgewater Drive. So. Guests arrived in our living room as I positioned my collection of facts and images for a graphically outstanding presentation of our 49^th state with a nice map showing the locations of the state capital (Juneau) and Alaska’s biggest city (Anchorage).

The readers of my report would be treated to bonus information on the state flower (Forget-me-not) and amazing facts about the Kodiak bear (the unique subspecies of a brown or Grizzly bear).

Grammy Lawton lived with us at the end of her life and suffered from dementia but she has a light that still shown in my mother’s eyes as she greeted people from the community ranging from Lakewood Little Theater (now the Beck Center) and Morgan Studio (dad’s business founded in 1951) and lifelong friends (some of whom may have attended the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan at St. James in Lakewood on  December 19, 1942). 

Love Dem Kids

 

My daughter is amazing. My Son is amazing. They have both found partners in marriage and live amazing lives. They both have boys born in  2016 (a vintage year if you ask me). 

Good Grief!

 

I never fully understood why Charlie Brown says it aside from the high probability that things will not go well for Charlie. Perhaps it is his way of expressing and accepting failure in what seems an endless cycle of disappointments. Still, he is sincere and earnest in every new effort to save face and come out on top. That is a truly loveable trait. The optimism and self-assurance it takes to dust one self off and begin again is a worthy approach to everyday challenges.  

I find myself at a time in my life living with a measure of grief that that seems ever present. Still I know the loss of my life mate of 41+ years comes with a full bundle of sweet, priceless memories, full of joy and happiness. It is this bundle that surely must be the stuff of “good grief.” Those memories are poignant and palpable and most treasured. The poetry in my good grief is in so many little things that make me smile. 

I am fond of saying “Little things are big things”. To me, it so accurately captures the meaning of love. Acts of kindness, silly circumstances, happy moments and shared dreams make up the very stuff of which a full life is made. 

As I count my blessings and recall so many “little things” I must admit that I have, at times, been guilty of taking those things (and moments) for granted. I have the painful reminder that life is short and we just must try to recognize with gratitude the little things that, in spite of so often coming with setbacks, add up to the good in this lifetime of ours.

Charlie Brown remains an inspiration to me as he faces each new challenge with the optimism that is essential for success in spite of adversity. I will always root for the lovable loser because he never is truly defeated. Instead he is confident that he can and will prevail in the end. You’re a good man Charlie Brown.

Here and After

Transparency, awareness and self-reflection;

As if to say - I can achieve perfection;

In the midst of loss, pain, and dread;

No regrets. I know much was left unsaid.

Squall lines inevitable and straight ahead.

 

Navigating with a will to steer;

Mitigation of fear from those near and dear;

Every life has its share of woes;

Pray for guidance and steady as it goes;

Until it’s you - no-one knows.

Living in the here and now;

We got here some way, somehow.

Change is a constant state of things; 

Life and the circumstance it brings;

You are gone but I know you’re on angel wings.

 

Memories abound;

Of when you were around.

You were always kind;

Among us, you still remind;

To make this life the best we can find. 

Lynn Stevens Morgan (3/30/1956 - 2/3/2022) 

WHAT DO YOU MEME?

What do you MEME?

We returned from the after party of the wedding at Beltane Ranch in Glen Ellen, California in Sonoma Valley. Kevin is the youngest of three in Rob’s family married the stunning Madelyn. The party extended into a small bar in Town Square. Rob and his wife returned to their home in Novato. Dan was smart enough to retire at a reasonable hour because he wanted to be awake at Saint Leo Catholic Church in the morning. (Our brother Sundance and sister Lynn decided not to travel from their respective homes in New Orleans and Columbus, Ohio to this destination.)   

The rental home arranged for by Rob was roomy with space for all of us. My brother and I along with his two boys (Wes and Matt), and their respective girlfriends (Alexis and Bianca) and his step-daughter (Lauren) joined Greg and I as we moved into a comfy living room space to reflect on the afternoon/evening.  Greg decided to take charge by introducing me as a guest speaker. (We are all improvisational actors in our family so I began my address to the audience assembled. I borrowed from a recent presentation I made.)

Uncle Wes (that’s me): Bruce Lee is an inspiration. He was determined to make it as a box office star in Hollywood but his ambition was thwarted by producers and directors who were afraid, that in spite of his success as Kato in the Green Hornet TV series he would not have enough commercial appeal on the big screen… Bruce Lee was determined to overcome this Hollywood bias against a Chinese actor with astounding marshall arts skills.

This is the set up to my sharing a quote about mindfulness and living life in the moment. “Be Water” said Bruce Lee…

Alexa (Wes’ girlfriend has been traveling in close quarters in an RV. She may have been over-served, very tired or both. So her interaction with the group made her appear a bit tipsy): What about John Claude Van Damme? She blurted out the suggestion to change the arc of my little talk. (I get it, but I know next to nothing about the Belgian Van Damme beyond the fact that he is a movie star.) My talk is NOT about movies anyway. It is about mindfulness and begins with a Bruce Lee quote about water.

Uncle Wes: So Bruce Lee offers some advice in his Marshall Arts and movie acting instruction. Be Water. Empty your mind. Be formless. Be shapeless. When you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup…

Alexa (in her best imitation of a heckler in a small comedy club): This is boring. What about John Claud Van Damme? She slurs a few arguments as if our small group could be brought to a vote and change the programming/channel. Who wants to talk about John Claud Van Damme? Raise your hand!

Wes (He is curled up into a ball in an overstuffed chair and close to being asleep.) He stretches a bit and calmly puts it out there that Alexis has completely de-railed Uncle Wes. He tries to mitigate the problem with a group game called  WHAT DO YOU MEME? Since Wes and Alexis have played this game before, he assumes that this activity might be easier to control.

Uncle Wes: Great, we can move on to this game. An image is offered on an easel in the middle. Players chose a caption from their hand (five cards). Captions deemed best win the image. The point is awarded to the agreed upon winning caption. At the end the winner is the player with the most image cards. Simple enough.

Matt and Bianca (on the couch) were politely attentive to Uncle Wes but flexible enough to let the evening festivities move on to this game.

Lauren bailed out and went to bed. She likely prefers more orderly proceeding and can see that step Dad Greg and Uncle Wes only have the sketchiest idea how this gathering will be engaged. That still leaves the six of us to salvage the order of events.

Wes (stretching): Alexis, shut the f@*k up.

Alexa: This is all about racism. No, this is because of Misogyny. You are being a misogynist! (It isn’t clear if she is referring to the game or the attempt to bring some order to the emerging chaos.)

Uncle Wes: Well said Alexa. (Or sometimes he addresses her as Siri as he easily forgets the name Alexis in the context of the game).  We girls need to stick together. Now Greg, we are gonna need you to take a time out. You are being disruptive to the game.  

Wes: It’s my turn and my image card is of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. I think this will one day be promoted as the Putin collector edition of this game of WHAT DO YOU MEME?

Alexis: Wait a minute! You are all misogynists and you are skipping me.  

Bianca: No. It’s Wes’ turn. It is alright. (Matt is laughing and both Matt and Bianca know that law and order will not be restored in the living room. Only a kind of orderly chaos is possible now.)

The dynamics and stage direction cannot do justice to the comic timing and natural twists and turns of this gathering that rolled on with many laughs. Uncle Wes did his best to explain the performance as a blend of one act dramatic performance art, method acting and improvisational theater. Uncle Wes insisted This performance art is much like Voltaire’s theme proclaimed again and again in Candide. Everything happens exactly as it is supposed to happen in this, the best of all possible worlds. 

Above: Greg flanked by Alexis and Bianca.

Bottom pic: Dan at table. Standing: Wes, Alexis, Lauren, Greg, Rob, Lauren, Matt, Uncle Wes.

Note: The after party MEME game was a blast and got even funnier as we talked about it over the next couple of days. Like most art performance pieces - ya had to be there. I am glad I was.