The blogging community is abuzz with the news from Florida last night. Mario of Wax Heaven finally met his idol, Jose Canseco.After watching Jose's brother Ozzie play softball a few times, the unthinkable happened. Jose showed up to the game and played. Jose went 2 for 5 with an RBI double, according to Mario.
I can only hope that if I ever meet any of my childhood heroes, it can be under circumstances this cool. Jose even offered to take a picture. Maybe he reads Wax Heaven secretly.
Congratulations Mario! From the way you describe it, the meeting was everything you hoped it would be. I honestly don't know how I would react if I ever met Harold Baines or Carlton Fisk, not to mention the other heroes of my childhood. People sometimes have a funny way of reacting to people that they admire.
Would I be shy meeting Bobby Thigpen? Would I ask endless questions about baseball and music if I met Jack McDowell? Would I get nervous around John Cangelosi? I really don't know. I'd like to think that my tongue wouldn't be tied. I'd like to think that I could have a normal conversation with them. They are all just human beings, after all. Why should it be any different than meeting any other person?
The truth is, it shouldn't be. These ballplayers are all normal people. They have just done something with their lives that garners a lot of attention. Some would say obsessive attention. Then again, it reaches nothing like the coverage of people like Britney Spears or Brad Pitt.
I spoke to Chris Sabo during his rookie year on the telephone for an interview for a school project. I was extremely nervous (I was in 6th grade), but he told me, "I'm just a person, just like you." It didn't really put me at ease, but it was nice of him to say that.
ReplyDeleteWow Steve, lately you have been a posting machine!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout out. It's been a grand two days. :)