The Ides of March

Have you ever heard of the “Ides of March”? It is a designation given to the 15th of March, most notably it marked the death of Julius Caesar. It has a religious semblance in which the Roman deity, Jupiter, sacrificed animals monthly. Also, Jupiter, the 5th planet from the sun is named after the same deity.

The Ides of March was seen as a turning point or a sense of rebirth. This past weekend, we celebrated my son’s second birthday. As he ran back and forth – back and forth – back and forth – danced – then restarted to run again with his customized Cubs jersey with our last name on the back, I felt a since of rebirth. The exuberance he ran with was transitioned back to me as I watched.

As a child, my favorite team was the Chicago Cubs and my favorite player was Sammy Sosa, before the skin bleaching. I wanted to play just like him from emulating his batting stance, his high socks, and even his signature hop when he hit the long ball. You’re probably thinking to yourself, how does a person from Hammond, America (Louisiana) even watch enough Cubs games to even copy Sammy Sosa. WGN broadcasted Chicago teams here in Louisiana. My grandfather was an avid baseball fan, but mostly the Braves. When we couldn’t watch the Braves, the Cubs were the only thing on TV. He would tell me stories about Ernie Banks hitting a ball 3000 feet – you know how old men exaggerate, but I never questioned it. I followed the team from that point on.

In 2018, I visited Chicago for the 1st time with my girlfriend, before my son was born. Our main purpose for visiting was to see the Beyoncé & JAY-Z “On-The-Run” concert in Soldier Field. If you’ve never been to Soldier Field, it sits on Lake Michigan. I would highly recommend visiting. We enjoyed the concert, Giordano’s Pizza, Michigan Avenue, The Bean and other notable sites. The Cubs were in a weekend series versus the Washington Nationals. We decided to get tickets for the Sunday night game which was being played on ESPN.

The weather was perfect. The drive up to the East side was remarkable as we passed the nice boats along the lake. We were able to get decent seats for around $50. We sat next to a guy that had been a Cubs fan his entire life. His tickets were passed down from his grandfather. His job allowed him to leave work when the Cubs played a mid-day game. The thought of moving to Chicago ran the bases around my brain. 

The game was close for its entirety. The Nats led 1-0 until the top of the 8th. They added 2 more runs. With both teams going scoreless in their next attempts, the Cubs had the bottom of the line up at bat in the bottom of the 9th. They were able to get the bases loaded but had 2 outs. Insert, pinch hitter, David Bote. With a 2-2 count, David blasts a shot into centerfield and it even exceeds the basket just beyond the ivory laced wall. Walk-off Grandslam. Cubs win. Fly the W. August 5th, 2018.

The same joy I felt that night was the same joy I felt when I saw my son running back and forth.

Welcome to The Rhythm. As this releases on the 15th of March, my hope is that this becomes a rebirth for me. Everything comes from somewhere, and this series of writings are about connecting the unconnected. Just as my grandfather passed down the love of baseball to me, I hope to pass the same love to my son.