A River Between

I’ve written in other places about this, but let me once again formally introduce you to this mighty softball team that I am on this summer. We are The Lumberjacks! Ok..”mighty” might not be the best adjective to use for us. This is a group of guys who play in the Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League. We’re all affiliated or loosely affiliated through a lot of mutual acquaintances in the “Bear” GLBT subcommunity.

A “Bear” can be defined many ways, but generally it’s just a stocky or bigger framed guy, maybe he has facial hair, some body hair, etc. So.. out of what was just one team of “bears” on the softball team, there were two, and hence The Lumberjacks were born.

So, we’re not really the “ultimate athletic” stereotype. Far from it! Being 36 and 230 pounds myself, I thought at first “Who are you kidding, Scott?! Playing on a softball team for the summer??” But, I’m so glad I joined, and so glad that I challenged myself to play a sport again.

After about five weeks, I’m now playing 2nd base, and not doing too badly at it! I’ve gotten some good hits too. I even got the “game ball” from my coach one game, because I did so well during our games one Sunday. It’s his tradition. A great little reward for the best players of the day. It’s just been a great thrill for me! Here I am, just turned 36, haven’t played softball since I was about 20, and I can perform like the best of them! It’s a great feeling. I feel so much better being active too.

An added benefit…I’m really starting to get to know guys that I might not have had the opportunity. What a great bunch of new friends!

They say that when men reach middle age, that on average, if they are single, their health declines, because they don’t have the close bonds of their married or partnered counterparts. We need love, affection, social interaction, friends, and engagement, to feed our body, mind, and spirit. I can’t deny that I’m now in “that demographic” that gets the “type-A stress”, the high blood pressure, the heart problems, diabetes, and just a slew of other nasties. Funny how we knew that our dads were so stressed when we were growing up, and we vowed to be different, yet we’re in that boat now.

I once viewed my mid-30s as kind of the “Seventh Inning” to my youth. That time when you know you are making a turn, with the end of the game coming closer into view. But this summer, with softball, and countless other things that I keep doing, I’m feeling more active, and well “youthful” than I have in years. It’s a great birthday present, this feeling.

So..mid-thirties..I embrace you! I’m happy to be in the game!