When today’s verdict of guilty was announced, I was over come with emotion. It was not the emotion I expected. Unlike the people who I watched celebrating on TV, I was overcome with the same emotions I felt 45 years ago when the two men who murdered my mother-in-law Florence and three others in a jewelry store robbery were found guilty. I had no feeling of being overjoyed or a feeling of relief or a feeling of closure or a feeling of justice. Those are feelings that reporters and others talk about. I felt sad for the death of George Floyd knowing what his family and friends were going through. George Floyd, like Florence and the three others should not have died. No matter the sentencing that is handed out, the families are still going to be missing out. A guilty verdict and long sentence does not change that.
When all the publicity is over with and the press and citizens find something else to cover or protest about, the victim’s family of any murder is going to be stuck putting back the pieces of their lives that now has a big hole in it. It is a hole that doesn’t go away even after 45 years.
Leah and I cannot get back that Chris and Katy never got to even see Florence. Or that all the time we were raising Chris and Katy, Leah didn’t have a mother to call for advice and counsel. Florence wasn’t at one Christmas or birthday party. She didn’t attend one Little League game or band concert. She couldn’t attend their graduations or weddings. Chris and Katy didn’t get to see how smart she was or how funny she was or how beautiful she was. They were not able to receive the love she poured out to their older cousins because she was taken away from us at such an early age, all for a few pieces of jewelry.
So while so many of the country and world are celebrating justice today, it would be nice if you say a little prayer for the family of George Floyd. Based on my experience they will need all the prayers we can give them. Their lives did not get any better today because of the verdict.
Yesterday, I did not write my blog. I had a good reason. Since I started umpiring 53 years ago, I have never had a game like I had yesterday. The game was at Wyandotte Memorial field between Wyandotte Roosevelt and Trenton. The starting pitcher for Trenton is going to MSU on a baseball scholarship and the starting pitcher from Wyandotte was just as good yesterday. I was umpiring the plate on a cold, windy and eventually rainy day. When both pitchers left in the 7th and 8th innings, it is my understanding that both were throwing no hitters at the time. The score after 10 innings was 0 to 0. Trenton scored 5 unearned runs in the top of the 11th to win the game. The two Trenton pitchers pitched a combined 11 inning no-hitter. I was so focused because of the quality of the pitchers, the tightness of the game, and the rivalry between the two schools I didn’t know about the no hitters until I was told about them in the parking lot after the game. It probably didn’t help that I took a 90 mph fastball off the helmet in the first inning that rattled the cobwebs around and maybe even created some new cobwebs. The game lasted 3 and 1/2 hours which is much longer than my focus pills last and much longer than this old guy should be behind the plate. I calculated that I did well over 300 squats going during the game. Inspite of the tightness of the game, the fans, coaches and players showed great sportsmanship throughout the game. My partner or I didn’t get any complaints about our calls for the entire game. Needless to say I was too exhausted to write my blog when I got home.
Stay safe. Wear your mask properly. Social distance. Wash your hands regularly. Schedule your vaccine.
Quote of the Day: “One small step for justice. One very long way to go.” A friend.
Orchid of the Day: The players, coaches and fans in the Trenton vs Roosevelt varsity baseball game yesterday.
Onion of the Day: Mother nature. If you need a reason. Look out your window.