At 69 years old and the grandfather of six I have been told by many people that it is time to think about retiring. Who in their right mind would start a writing career at such an age? Especially someone that has a hard time e-mailing a message, transferring files or saving one thing or another to a disc.
But you know what? It is fun. And, guess what? You can learn. I have enjoyed every moment and every step of the way from the first words I produced on my laptop to seeing Billy’s Victory in its final printed form.
To be able to write about the sport I love: baseball, and to write about that special time in my life: my youth, is a bonus. I can still remember back to when I was just nine years old. I would leave the house and head for the nearest sandlot with my bat and glove draped over my shoulder. I wouldn’t stop walking until I found a game. There were times the kids in my neighborhood would choose up sides. Sometimes I’d get picked first and sometimes last. It didn’t matter as long as I played.
As the years flew by, I played Little League, Pony League, American Legion, high school and college. It ended for me soon after that. I could not hit a curve ball. I had a good glove, but just a so-so arm. I didn’t make it to the big leagues.
As for Billy’s Victory, the characters and events and places depicted in the book are a figment of my imagination -- as is the town of Johnsonville.
Baseball is still and will always be America’s favorite pastime. Baseball fans, young and old, have witnessed the likes of a Billy Ray Reynolds, a Boomer, or a Bugs McPherson at one time or another…at a ball park…somewhere across this great country of ours.
So, if some of you old timers want to give writing a try, then do it. If I can do it so can you. Get yourself a laptop and start typing. Some of your life experiences may turn out to be a lot more interesting than mine.
Billy is available at amazon.com/kindlebooks. Just plug in Billy's Victory. He's wearing No. 8.
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