Alright. If I’m going to “be real” with you people then I guess that means I have to be honest. So here’s my first installment of shocking confessions . . .
When I was 14-years old, I got fired from my first (and favorite) job because I yelled out the f-word in front of store customers! Shocking – but true!
I was working at a baseball card shop down the street. I loved that job. I worked 2 hours everyday after school and as long as I wanted on Saturdays. All the neighborhood kids envied me – I had a cush job making $60 a week! Cha-ching! They asked the owner if they could work there as well but since they weren’t near as responsible as I was (note the sarcasm!) they all had to stay on the customer side of the counter!
That was until the owner hired some punk teenager whose name I have long forgotten. I didn’t like him from the start. There was something about him that made me uneasy! Simply put, I didn’t trust him . . . at all!
Long story short: I came in on my day off and asked Said Delinquent to go through my personal baseball collection to see if I had any that the store could use. Although I never actually saw it happen, I was convinced that while I wasn’t looking he stole one of my prized Nolan Ryan cards. When I called him out he quickly denied everything (lying was not beneath him). An argument pursued complete with raised voices – all in front of other customers (the owner was out at the time). He infuriated me because he wouldn’t fess up to his heinous crime. All I could think to do was pound my fist on the counter, yell, “F--- you!” and storm out the door! Which I did.
Needless to say, I was promptly terminated when I arrived for work the next day. I cried when I told my parents.
I once heard someone say that cussing is an indication of a language deficit – people swear simply because they are not smart enough to say something more intelligent. That obviously was true of me that day.
As for the stolen Nolan Ryan card, I found it in my desk drawer a few days later . . . I loved that job!
9 comments:
That story is probably only shocking (or even a little funny) to those that know you well and know how bizarre it is to imagine that word coming out of your mouth at 14 or even 30!
I'll keep a bar of soap handy to wash out your mouth if that continues. :)
I can honestly say that is the one time I've ever said that word!
Don't worry - you won't need any soap for me!
Ironically that teenager's name was Robin Ventura.
did you find the card along with your keys, cell phone, hearing aide and wallet?? hee, hee. that story makes me laugh out loud even though i've heard it before. can't wait to see you guys sunday!
Hey Keeper,
Yeah! My shocking confession #2 is going to about when I later put Robin in a headlock and started punching him mercilessly in the face!
Thanks for stopping by,
W
By the way, that was one of my most favorite non-Cowboy sports moments from my childhood. Sad isn't it?
Hey Shannon,
Well aren't we a funny girl! Are you sure Mallory isn't crying or is need of a diaper change!
No, actually it was kind wierd finding my Nolan Ryan baseball card next to my car keys (because I was only 14 and didn't even have a driver's license), my cell phone (because 14 year olds didn't carry cell phones back in 1989) and my hearing aid (because I didn't start wearing one until 1997) - so, yeah, kinda wierd.
Just playing! Thanks for stopping by,
W
(Watching Trip and Mary Tish with Mallory should be interesting!)
The only sad part was a professional athlete in his prime getting beated down by a octogenarian pitcher.
Octogenarian . . .Wow, I actually had to look that one up! I guess you can mark that as a score for Harding.
I was actually expecting octogenarian to refer to some type of pitching style. I guess Nolan Ryan did have kind of a old-timey high leg kick before his release.
I would watch more baseball if pitchers would reinstate the old pitching style of raising thier arms high above thier head followed by an excessively high leg kick. Pitchers would do great because it would distract the batter. . . . at least it would provide comic relief.
W
I agree that pitchers don't do enough to change up their delivery to make it harder on the hitter. I'm no kent, but I bet it probably has to do with the pitching motion being an unnatural movement for the human body.
A couple of other changes that I think would make the game better:
1. A "shot-clock" on the pitcher. He has 8 seconds to release the ball or the batter is awarded first base. For a given batter, he can only throw to a base once.
2. Get rid of the intentional walk. If you want to give the hitter a base to get to another hitter, just hit him with the pitch. You'd have to loosen up the rules concerning throwing at batters, but it saves time and creates more opportunity for confrontation. It's like hack-a-shaq, only it's bean-a-barry.
3. Cut games to 7 innings.
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