You know your life is back together when you can afford new underwear!

"Itch" Jones was the baseball coach at Southern Illinois University and at the University of Illinois for over 30 years.  I had the true pleasure of working for Itch for 3 years at Illinois.  One of the things he would say to the players when things weren't going right was "you think playing a game, like baseball is hard?  Hard is when you have a house with a mortgage, a family with bills and you have lost your job."  "Hard is figuring out how you are going to get your next meal when you only have pennies in your pocket."  "Hitting a baseball is not hard."

I didn't really get that when he said it.  I mean at the time I had always had a job.  Always been able to pay my bills.  Pretty much always been able to do whatever I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it.  Not working was a function of not wanting to work, and not making enough money meant you weren't trying hard enough. 

And then the year 2007 hit me square in the face.  I started the year working for a residential management company that was building a new dorm on campus.  It was a great job, and add to that I was working part time in real estate and making extra cash as a referee.  About April my father's condition deteriorated.  This weighed on my mind constantly as our family tried to decide the proper care going forward.   I had a few other distractions as well, and eventually the company decided to "go another direction."  So I went back to real estate full time. 

A few weeks later my father passed away.  A month after that the stock market collapsed.  And by Christmas it became evident the real estate business was headed into a tailspin.  And so began a nearly 3 year change of lifestyle.  It's amazing when you really have to "watch your pennies" how some things just don't become important anymore.  Over the next two years I would cancel home phone service, Internet, subsciptions, and find a way where ever I could to cut back my expenses.  I had some good months and some bad months.  The bad months were often funding with my credit cards, and like a Vegas gambler I thought my next big sale would pay off the debt.

The next big sale didn't come, although I had enough smaller sales to pay the bills.  Over time I took on 4 part time jobs.  I was very fortunate that people with whom I had volunteered in the past offered me part time positions, getting paid, in areas of they controlled.  And it was enough to get by. 

So here I am four years later, head still above water, and still managing to get by.  A few weeks ago our managing broker offered me a salary position with benefits.  It truly was the answer to my prayers.  In fact I had prayed often during this time, putting my full faith in God that things would work out.  And they did.

So, a few weeks ago I did something I haven't done in more than 3 years.  I went out an bought some new underwear.  My old stuff, and trust me I had a lot of it, was finally wearing out.  And I was down to my last 5 or 6 pair.  There is something now about opening a new package of boxers that makes me feel things are ok now.  Funny, because in the past, I took it for granted.  When you take time to step back and really look at where you life as led you, the things that seem like a given can become a celebration.

Some people just have it figured out. Cub's starter Randy Wells Give Back

Randy Wells



char·i·ty (chr-t)
n. pl. char·i·ties
1. Provision of help or relief to the poor; almsgiving.
2. Something given to help the needy; alms.
3. An institution, organization, or fund established to help the needy.

If you aren't a baseball fan, or maybe a casual fan you may not recognize the name Randy Wells.  He is the third or fourth starter for the Chicago Cubs.  He posted the definition of charity on a Facebook page yesterday.  I think we all need a reminder that no matter how far we rise in our lives, we need to remember there are many who need help just to get by.  Randy remembers this, and demonstrates it on a regular basis.

I first met Randy when he was about 8 years old.  His older brother Forry played for the University of Illinois in both football, where he was a qb/punter and pitcher, 1st base, catcher, outfielder in baseball.  Forry was no doubt one of my favorite players I worked with and came from a family deeply rooted in the values you would hope all young men and women display.  Forry is a true "older" brother, 10 or 12 years older than Randy.  And like many younger brothers, Randy loved to watch Forry play, love to come to the park and play catch and hit in the batting cages and loved it when we asked him to be in the dugout as bat boy. 

Here's a photo with Randy on the far right, and his grandmother, mom, dad and brothers at senior day.

When Randy was called up to the Cubs, one of the first things he did was send out a note to all his friends inviting them to Belleville after the season for a fund raiser.  A friend of his has a sister with juvenile diabetes, and he was committed to helping.  He did, and has held a similar outing each of the past 3 years.  Several hundred thousand have been raised to date with more certainly to come. 

But he hasn't just made a commitment to this project.  The Randy Wells Foundation has fund raisers throughout the year for many causes.  He held Boot Bash in October along with country music pal Stoney LaRue, supporting vets returning from battle.  He has raised money for the Chicago Children's Memorial Hospital, the Wounded Warriors Project and lent a hand to many other events showing up or donating to the cause.  I'm going to borrow a paragraph from his foundation website because it captures Randy's heart better than I could ever hope to.

Playing for the major leagues is a dream that Randy Wells lives out every day.  On the mound, Wells' main focus is concentrated on strikeouts. Off the mound, the major leaguer makes it a priority to strikeout obstacles that prevent children from achieving their dreams. He was forever changed after meeting five-year old brain cancer patient Carter Kettner. “Here was this boy who showed no signs of what he was going through.  His perseverance against these physical struggles was such an inspiration,” says Wells of the encounter with Kettner. “The fact that the team was able to brighten his day just touched me in a special way.” Randy developed a friendship with the Kettners. Sadly, things were put into perspective for Wells after Carter lost his battle to cancer in May of 2010. “I just realized there were a lot of kids out there like Carter who needed support and care day in and day out,” says Wells.

Here is a link to his foundation website:  http://www.randywellsfoundation.org/

A long time ago, maybe just maybe I helped 8 year old Randy touch his dreams for a day when we suited him up in a batboy uniform.  And while that doesn't even come close to the kind of things Randy has done for young men like Carter, it's a reminder that each of us have a obligation to do what we can, when we can. 

Thank you Randy for reminding us all that not every professional athlete is self centered and uncaring.  You are a hero to many, especially me!