There's a dark shadow, cast over this weekend. My wife scheduled a "Marriage Retreat" for us. Her sister and my brother-in-law, Paul will accompany us. My wife heard about it from some of our church members, who said it is really enjoyable.
I would bet my subscription to MLB.TV that no man ever scheduled one of these events. It's always wives. First, men have a deep-seeded paranoia that these events are designed by women to get all the men trapped in a big room, then draw everyone's attention to their weight and relational shortcomings. Further, men see these Marriage-Workshop events as conflicting with more preferable televised sporting events and twilight hours at the golf course. (more evidence that these events are designed by women). Is it any wonder why marriages need workshops, with women sabotaging all their husbands' precious free-time?
Of course, I'm going to miss one of Junior's baseball tournaments. And, this is at a time when he and the team are playing real well. They won their last tournament in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He's been a little light with the bat, but is pitching very well.
My brother in law, Paul (the finest brother-in-law you could know) is a true glass-half-full guy. He's looking forward to our opportunity to be together. He's a great man, but he may be a little naive. Doesn't he detect a conspiracy?
Paul and I ran the Cowtown Half-Marathon, in Ft. Worth together a couple months ago. That was a big achievement because Paul recently completed chemotherapy. We ran together, encouraging each other the whole way. We also recently took a trip with the wives and kids to South Texas to visit our wives' family. And, that's when I first saw the shadow.
All the girls got in one car, so they could blaspheme husbands, boys and males of every species. All the guys got in another so they could talk freely about the true meaning of life: baseball. It was just John, Paul, Me,.... and the shadow.
Paul is generally a very happy person. He is complimentary of people, and highly socially adept. He's handsome, athletic and has good fashion sense. He gives others the sense that they're ten pounds lighter, and ten years younger. He doesn't release the phantom around any but a trusted few.
During the long, hot stretches of Texas Highway, we three men discussed Junior's baseball exploits. Paul encouraged Junior to tell, to relive hits, K's and errors. I filled in, where I felt my input was helpful. Paul then offered his advise and experience. It seems that Pauly was a bit of a baseball player himself.
After John's recent experiences had all been parlayed, Paul talked about his own. As it happens, he was an All-State 2nd Baseman, during his highschool days in Colorado. His parents encouraged him during those years, enjoying those days with their son. During the playoffs, his Senior year, he once had 11 straight hits. During summer tournament ball, he once had a stretch where he got 22 hits in 23 at-bats. He recalled the names of players he hadn't seen in over fifteen years. Looking out into the nothingness of South Texas, he relived throws, the feel of the air, the smell of the grass, the exuberance of youth, prolonged by every new day on the diamond. As he told the stories to John and I, his eyes grew vacant. And the specter stretched his pin-striped legs, in the front seat, his ghostly features becoming more real.
At the end of his Senior year in highschool, Paul had two items sitting on his desk: an offer to play at Nebraska, and another at Iowa State University. But, he and his parents decided that he was too book-smart to risk his future on the crapshoot of sports. He told us about the despair he felt after his last game in highschool, knowing that he had chosen the discipline of Chemical Engineering over baseball. Junior asked if he would change anything if he could make the decision again. He told John that once a man makes a decision, he can't look back. And, the smokey apparition stared at Paul with his peircing eyes, nodding with an omniscient, wicked smile before fading out of sight.
Today, Paul wouldn't trade his life. He's beaten Cancer. He's got a beautiful wife and daughter. His career as an Engineer is going very well. He makes family events a lot more enjoyable for me. My wife loves him too. And so,... we're all set to go to the big Marriage Retreat this weekend, just the five of us: our two lovely brides, Pauly, Me and the Shadow.
