Sunday, July 27,1958 10:03 p.m. a great soul was born and that soul possessed the body of a baby boy. That baby boy would grow to a man, a man who loved baseball. The man played as soon as he could hold a bat all the way up through college. WOuld of went to the NBA but he fell in love with a woman, they didn’t want to be too far away from each other. So he decided to stay with her and get a normal “desk job.” The lovely young couple fell in love,got married and started a family.

The man had such a passion for baseball he would play local games ,even made a community little league team! Obviously as soon as the son was old enough he was put on the team. Everyday after work he would go pick up his son from school they would go home get changed then it was out on the field ‘til the dinner bell rang. The new coach enjoyed every minute of it. That was his life:work,coach,eat sleep, repeat.

But one day on his way home from work only the man in the car, just for a split second he wasn’t paying attention. Boom. That’s when it happened. He woke up staring at the ceiling of an ambulance. It’s white bright light mocking him of what could of happened,the deafening sound of the sirens,taste of blood, smell of sweat and piss,no feeling at all. From the waist down he was numb. He didn't want to believe it but he was.

Paralyzed.

The man didn’t know what to do at first. He was so worried for himself and for others, He just didn't want to be some breathing object taking up space. Continuing to feel this way he was slowly getting used to it and trying to make changes in his life for the better. The man impeached himself ,feeling it wasn’t his right anymore seeing that he couldn't even play the game himself, from the coaching position of his son’s little league team. He would still go to all of his sons games with a smile on his face watching his own flesh and blood play America’s favorite pastime. Everytime the team would core the dad in the wheelchair would be the loudest one cheering.

August 13,2014, 7 years after the accident. The man went into the hospital for his usual routine check-ups. His doctor noticed something peculiar, a lump on his upper back/neck area and asked if the could run a few more test. The man simply agreed.

Weeks later he’s called back into the hospital, with his son strolling him in and  his wife by his side. They waited and waited  for which seemed to be forever. The doctor finally comes in through the double doors.  By the sight of his experienced  soft but yet chilling gray eyes he spotted the family,. Anyone could tell it was bad news by the look of his expression. Walking over to meet with them he ends of his  labcoat trailing behind. Doc nervously hands his patient a packed folder with paper edges coming out at all ends. At that moment it seemed like all the noise on the whole Earth stopped as the doctor said in a deep sorrow sigh,

“ Sir you have cancer.”

Days,weeks,and even months went by you could see this man visibly dying.

With his son grown by now, off to be banker, unwilling to coach a son of his own, he takes his old man to a major league baseball game. The man was so excited he had his jersey, cap, and a hotdog in hand. Hard to believe even  after all of these years the man never caught a ball in the crowd watching the game.

The day was growing long. Ninth inning was in play and the sun was high in the sky. The man took off his cap for the heat was too strong and when he did he caught one, his very first ball right in his hat.

He looked at it and smiled. He took it all in. The sight of the green grass field he knew as home, sound of the roaring crowd, taste of his hotdog, smell of beer and popcorn spilled everywhere, and the touch of his first ball.

He just smiled then closed his eyes for the final time.

He lived the American Dream.