Dad - my other job since 1995

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I like to switch up the order.  Yes, Michael (1995), Steven (1997) and Daniel (2003) were born in that order.  I have wondered if Michael always wants to be first (probably), if it adds to a "Jan Brady Complex" for Steven to always be in the middle and if Daniel would like to sometimes see his name listed somewhere other than at the bottom?

 

 

So, let's start with Steven: My former baseball player and sometimes-football player.  A knee injury has kept him on the sidelines too long, and surgery in February 2014 did little to change that - he was out too long to make a comeback. He's funny, usually in a goofy sort of way.  His feigned conceit really makes me laugh.  I would not have made a good baseball coach - something he wanted me to do at one time.  T-ball, maybe? By the time Steven James and his friends were about 8 years old, their skill level was probably above mine. Instead, I joined the Green Baseball/Softball Federation Board in 2005.  

 

 

Dan the Man - the Danimal:  He arrived a little earlier than expected, something that I did not realize would be symbolic of his personality - scared to death he's going to miss something.  When he was a toddler, a relative observed that Daniel was always "in a hurry to go absolutely nowhere."  We knew what he meant - nothing harmful, but Daniel is going somewhere.  I don't know where yet ... with his saxophone? Maybe.  His current career ambition of education (4th Grade Reading, by the way, and nothing else).  If you ever meet Daniel, ask him about the Scoop.  

 

Michael - the cop.  Well, someday. Actually, that's been his plan since he was about 4-years old.  Never changed.  Michael is a college student for now and works (he has always worked - juggled multiple jobs during parts of high school) for a security company that is contracted by numerous businesses.  He's currently placed at a company in Macedonia.  He lives in Akron with some buddies and other friends are close by.  I think he has a good, positive perspective on so many things, particularly on realizing that this is a time in his life to have fun.  Smart.   

 

It was because of Michael that I did the ultimate goofy Dad thing. Michael was in band throughout high school (I think the young lady on his left in the picture above is one of the reasons).  I decided to make a compilation video of some of the marching band performances (I am all about the marching band ... to the point that I may have been mistaken for a stalker!) so he would have something if he ever wanted to look back.  It snowballed into me breaking a solemn vow I made to myself to NEVER chaperone band camp.  But I did when I decided that this footage needed to be mixed with original footage and some interviews and ... well, it turned into a documentary.  I found it soothing to work through my memories of Michael in band before he donned the cap and gown to say goodbye to his life as a Green Bulldog.  Yes, it's primitive - I'm not a film producer - but it tells a story. If you were in a high school marching band, you might appreciate it.