the book of d.j. posner featuring Pearl Bailey

We are under a deluge down here in Florida, Tropical Storm Nestor having paid us an unwelcome visit overnight. So, a story to warm the heart and elevate the gloomy mood by all the rain-rain-rain, is exactly what I felt was needed!

There are few things more endearing than that of a father and son sharing time fishing. This is a story about a father and son duo fishing near their Quincy, Florida home located outside of Tallahassee. The two caught more than just a big fish on that day, they caught the attention of the media who picked up their heartwarming story.

The young son, standing on the banks of a small lake, hooked himself a big one! Patiently, he fought and reeled in the 8 lb. large mouth bass! He exclaimed, “Wowee, this is my personal best!” Now, that little statement is sweet all on its own, but it was what this young boy said next that’s remarkable. Struggling to hold up the huge fish under his slight frame, he says to his father, “Look at this beauty, 7-8 lbs! Now, I’m gonna’ put him back in the water.” As his father looks on and captures the young man’s action with his phone video, the boy carries the large bass to the water’s edge and softly lays it down in the pond. Stroking the fish, he murmurs, “I knew I was gonna’ get one today, I hope you go back and do good things. Go on now, go on out there and BE BETTER. One day we gonna’ meet back up again!” Watching as the fish wriggles and scoots off the banks, the boy cries out, “Oooh wee! Go on, show me what you’re working with!” Once the big fish swam out of sight, the proud father says to his son, “Best catch boy!” I think this dad was speaking about more than just his son’s catch!

Giving one’s best effort and then finding a way to elevate it to an even higher level is what we all need to aspire to. I hope the heartwarming statements from this young boy inspire you to keep reaching further in delivering each day a personal best. This story is the perfect illustration of my ‘I Can Do Better’ movement!

No, I am not paying homage to late writer Tom Clancy’s blockbuster novel of the same title, but I am stepping up to the plate (pardon the pun) with a hardy congrats to the Washington Nationals, the Professor’s beloved baseball team. The ‘hunt’ for the ‘red’ did not evade them last night when they clinched the National League Pennant, and by that, have been invited to the dance, the coveted World Series!

Excitement was pervasive in my household last night. From the very first inning when the Nats pitcher, Patrick Corbin, struck out the first three players to bat – 1-2-3 YOU’RE OUT! Then taking their turn at bat in the bottom of the 1st, the super-charged Nats delivered a clean offensive outburst and scored an astounding 7 runs! And, this was just the beginning! The crowd was wild. And speaking of the crowd, the Professor and his friends were having a field-day spotting their doppelganger celebrities – I heard names shouted out like – Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Rooney, Gerald Ford, and Peter Falk! Wait a minute – I thought those people were dead – did they rise up to witness the magic of this most exciting game? Could be!

Most of you know the rest of the story here, the Nats went on to win the Pennant with a final scoreboard reading 7-4, even conquering the top of the 8th inning through a tense time with the St. Louis Cardinals at bat with the bases loaded.

You see, I probably know more about baseball than I ever let on, and that to some of you is shocking news as I am an openly declared non-sports fan. But I unabashedly admit, I got caught up in the excitement last night. I even left the living room during the high-strung 8th inning to go upstairs and turn on the Hallmark Channel which I superstitiously maintain to the Professor that by taking that action it ensures a Nationals win!

And, so now the Washington Nationals will DANCE. And not just in the dug-out, their dancing shoes are polished for the big gala! Congrats to this team that is deep in skill, and whose members all possess the heart it takes to deliver! This Franchise, whose last visit to the Fall Classic was in 1933, now know the joy and glee of a Pennant win. The wait has been long but their success is so sweet!

Political diatribe aside, this morning I am proud to be a native Washingtonian!!! Born and raised!

Well, its playoff season for the Washington Nationals and that can only mean the Professor is glued to the telly screen each time there is a game being aired. Now, you may think that all the fun is from the ‘at bats’ and ‘no hit pitching’, but you would be dead-wrong. The Professor and his friends add a bit of zany to the regular occurrences making these games of ‘boys rolling in dirt’ a true comedic experience!

Many of you know, I am not a sports fan choosing to spend my time sequestered in my studio surrounded by creative stimulants of all kinds – be it music or writing or dreaming. But if there was ever a time to get on board for a sporting event, it is during a pennant run (the victor, of course, playing for the World Series). Like I said, there is so much excitement already in play, what could possibly add to the electrification that already exists…celebrity sightings, that’s what!

The name of the game is Who’s That, and it is a crowd scanning skill the Professor and his friends evoke every time a player comes up to bat. Tonight, I heard Reese Witherspoon was in attendance, along with Matt Lauer and Tony Shaloub! Really, you ask, these three random celebs attending a game in St. Louis? No, this does not mean that the ‘actual’ celeb is sitting front row and center, it means a doppelganger is! Here’s how this hilarious and ridiculous game is played:

• Each time a player comes to bat, the cameras are focused on him. Directly behind his plate position is the crowd. Given the crispness of hi-definition watching, you get a rather good scan of the crowd seated directly behind home plate (next time you see a baseball game on screen, take a look, you will see what I mean).
• The first person to spot someone in the crowd that’s a look-alike shouts out a name and prompts the others in the room to quickly spot the ‘celeb’, and so on and so on….
• Since there are about an average of four or five at bats per team per inning, and there are two teams, you can understand there are a lot of famous people names being shouted out in the course of one game. This silly behavior goes on ALL night, and by the end of the evening the Professor and his friends are weak from hysterical laughter.

So, if you are ever wondering what kind of merriment I am subjecting myself to, you do not have to ponder that thought too long. Because during baseball’s seven month long season, the entertainment is supplied – it’s all about WHO YOU SEE!

This is a story of a true gentleman with his heart in the right place. It is an exemplary lesson of my mantra ‘I Can Do Better’. His name is Guy Bryant; he is a single man, 61 years old and a native of New York. Remarkably, Mr. Bryant is known as ‘Dad’ to more than 50 foster children, the majority of them young males.

Mr. Bryant grew up in a community-oriented family in Brooklyn New York, so it is no wonder that his adulthood turned out to be no different. “It’s a big population,” said Bryant. “There’s definitely a need for this service because what happens is when a youth gets into his teen years, a lot of times they feel lost, many having lived in at least 10 other foster homes during their short life time.”

 Mr. Bryant’s life of fostering began in 2007 when one young man he was mentoring asked, “Will you be my father? Will you take me?” After some thought, Bryant decided to take the chance, but he didn’t stop there. Bryant also decided to foster the young man’s friend, as well as the friend’s brother. Before Bryant knew it, he had nine young men in his home making it necessary to rent the floor above his apartment to have additional space.  This was a huge undertaking for a single man, who by making this choice, became a single father.

To date, Guy Bryant has fostered more than 50 young adults. Bryant says his success is attributed to gaining their trust, “The difficult thing about building trust is getting around the past interactions these young people have had with adults. By spending more time with these children and ultimately getting to know them better, I develop a bond with them over time. Their need for constant reinforcement is met by my saying ‘I am here. I am going to do what I say.’ My kids will tell you whenever I say, I’m going to do it, I always do because I don’t want them to look at me like one of those adults who let them down.”

Bryant has zero plans of retiring anytime soon, especially when he sees so many children still in need of a place to call their own. 

“The Mr. Bryant approach is I love you regardless,” he said. “Once you come into my home and you’ve been with me and you’ve been here, you’re my kid for life.” That’s my approach. “You’ll always have a bed to come to, a clean bathroom for a shower — you’ll always be able to come home. My home is your home.”

In a world riddled with strife, I am so warmed by this story. I can not wait to hear stories about the accomplishments and life successes that come from the young men Mr. Bryant has nurtured.

I am sure by now you have heard the story about Ellen DeGeneres attending an NFL game where she and Portia were seated beside former President George W. and Laura Bush.

Ellen, in her delightful comedic-style, quipped that she was surprised
her Twitter feed chose to discuss her friendship with the Bushes’ and their
opposing views, over her possession of the new iPhone 11! She garnered a lot of
laughs to that wise-crack!

More important than just the fresh face Ellen showed on that day, it was her very wise words that struck a chord within me. Ellen said, “I know people think it is strange that I am friends with the Bushes’, yes we are different, but when I preach ‘Be Kind’, I don’t mean be kind to those people who think like you, I mean be kind to EVERYBODY.”

Some of Ellen’s followers on social media jammed up the airwaves with scorn over Ellen’s retort citing that George W.’s gay marriage views and his part in US activities during the Iraqi war as a huge issue. Where I respect the freedom of speech for all, I just think we all need to stop and let the healing of past discretions begin and move forward. There was one brave soul whose tweet summarized this best, “Seeing George Bush and Ellen together makes me have faith in America again!”

Well said!

What the hell is that, you say? And, I totally get that response. So, let these photos be known as the most inventive ‘selfie’ anyone has ever taken. Yes, I took this selfie, but it is of my back. It was NOT an easy shot to get, but I persevered.

This morning, as I was in the powder room washing my hands, I caught a glimpse of something attached to the back of my shirt. I turned in the mirror and saw it was a fluffy feather firmly attached just below my shoulder blade. I thought it resembled an angel’s wing. But there was only one, I thought wings came in pairs!

In Hebrew liturgy, angels are known as seraphim (or singular: seraph). These beings were said to have had six wings. In Christian scripture, angels are depicted with two wings, but I have never heard of a one-winged angel. Could it be manifestations that I am destined to “angel-hood” and to date have only earned the one? Or is it just a gentle reminder from the universe to keep my thoughts, actions and work as ‘good and wholesome’ and directed to the betterment of others? I am thinking it must be the latter, as I am not certain that in a review of my 67 years on this earth that I would qualify for the first notion!

At any rate, this little phenomenon stayed affixed to my shoulder most of the afternoon. I kinda’ liked looking back to see if it was still there! Eventually it dropped off; I guess I must have fallen from grace!

To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something to really increase the happiness, welfare and virtue of mankind, this is a choice that is possible for all of us; and certainly it is a good life goal to sail towards. — Henry Van Dyke

Choices. There is the ‘obvious choice’, the ‘logical choice’, the ‘people’s choice’. There are decisions for ‘opting out’, ‘tossing a coin’, ‘reaching a conclusion’. In fact, there are so many choices that we face throughout our lifetime it can seem daunting at times. But the remarkable thing is one of those decisions that we are served each day is our choice regarding our attitude. Beginning each day with positive thinking and affirmative words and actions can and will enhance goodness in the world.

In politics – our country’s security and stability, our infrastructure and the quality of our services are all affected by the choices made by our leaders. Just think, if the powers that be would begin each day with an affirmative outlook for the betterment of the people they govern, instead of making choices that create dissention and discord, I believe that we could gain greatly in bi-partisan actions and restore an optimistic attitude.

In marriage – choices made in the course of a relationship are not made on a wedding day or from the vows spoken in a church or synagogue, they are made over and over again every day in the way one treats their husband or wife. In order to achieve and sustain optimism in a marriage, one’s choices need to take place from a considerate and hopeful heart.

Mindset is a choice we are given, and probably the greatest choice we have every day we wake. In striving to maintain a fixed mental attitude and a sunny disposition which predetermines our responses and interpretations of situations that we come face-to-face with during our days on earth, we can (and will) achieve a more gracious world; a warmer and kinder world that we will pass to our children.

As most of you know, sports reign king in my household with Baseball being the broadcast of choice throughout the summer/autumn months. The Professor’s obsession does tend to take over at times, especially when his team has earned a place in the Playoffs. There is just no getting around it, so at times, I just plop down and mindlessly absorb what is going-on in the game.

Last night was one of those nights. It was a Playoff game with a late starting time, so I sat through a few innings and, of course, being the curious being that I am, I began to ask questions. As Baseball is a somewhat slower moving game, my quest for knowledge is tolerated by the Professor. I became very curious about the position of the Catcher. I asked out loud, “Who would ever want to be a Catcher? That position is awful.” Professor agreed without offering too much additional dialogue. I continued, “Is that Catcher wearing bright yellow nail polish?” That query got a loud guffaw and a response that it was actually yellow tape that some Catchers wear to make their calls more clear to the Pitcher.

Once I got past that exchange, I persisted with more chitchat, “Look at the uniform they have to wear, all that protective gear so hot in the summer months and so necessary as not to get hurt, jeez!” To that the Professor responded, “The Tools of Ignorance” I said, “…the what of what?” He repeated, “The Tools of Ignorance, that’s what they call the Catcher’s garb.” Oh wow, now I have heard everything! Who knew there was a phrase for that!

Being that I am left to my own devices during such times, I hit the computer to find out more. The MLB site was a treasure trove of information. From there I learned that the term is meant to point out the irony that a player that possesses the intelligence needed to be effective behind the plate would be foolish enough to play a position that required so much safety equipment. Ah ha! I’m starting to get the hang of this sports lingo!

The Tools of Ignorance. I’m going to keep this descriptive phrase in my arsenal, Lord only knows what I could apply it to!!