Treasures to Be Found

 

With time ticking away in the house, cleaning out is picking up.

My sister was here today along with her son Ryan. They cleaned a large chunk of the attic and took junk out of the garage.

We're just getting started and there's a long way to go.

There is a couch and an armchair. I have no intention of taking them. They need a little more TLC than I can handle.

We'll probably have to part with at least one bed and most likely two.

These are just some of the decisions to be made.

As Laura and Ryan worked here, I worked baseball at Brunswick. We had ourselves a day, let me tell you. The Bruins lost a doubleheader and we scratched and clawed on the broadcast.

The camera wouldn't stay straight but we adjusted and Local Live made it work.

The audio cable that carries my call to the video feed got unplugged at least twice. But we fixed it.

Oh, there was more. Lots and lots more. But we seemed to persevere and the broadcast went (mostly) fine.

Not everything can be perfect (as in what my standards are).

And let me be clear: Yes, I'm Brunswick's broadcaster but I love good, dramatic games, regardless of who wins. The first game was a well-pitched delight, as Winchendon from Massachusetts won 3-0. The second game wasn't quite that good as the Bruins lost 6-2.

Still not feeling top shelf, I packed everything up and made my way home. Normally I just have to pack the audio side but Wayne MacGillicuddy was away, thus leaving the camera in my hands. And, of course, on the day that happens, the camera goes haywire.

Because of course, it did.

So we shake it all off and come back home to where Laura and Ryan did their magic.

We still have a ways to go. I still need to find a place to live.

I continue to believe it will all work out.

When I got home, I decided to cut some of the cardboard up so that it could be picked up among the regular trash.

That's when I saw a picture. Black and white and weathered but still clear. Rusted staples were on the perimeter of this circular photograph. A man with a stern face glared back. No sign of a smile. His black hair, receding but plentiful still.

The hair would recede further and turn gray. And that stern face? It was almost shocking but given this is likely a photo for the man's CDL license, I'm not surprised.

Otherwise, most pictures always showed the man with a broad smile that exploded off the screen.

I'm not sure when that picture was taken of my father other than I'm certain it was before I was born.

It was a great find and there will be others.

There will be some hard decisions.

Yet, in truth, this should be a team effort and a joy that brings a family together as we pack up nearly 60 years of memories while toasting both of my parents.

That view, of course, is pure fantasy.

So, instead, I'll take a weathered of my father and keep working on heading into the next chapter of my life.

Spoiler: It's best if the camera wasn't like that.