A letter to Clara and Chloe

 11/9/2016

Dear Clara and Chloe-

I am writing this note the day after a historical event in our nation’s history.  Let me first say my explanation to you of this historical moment has nothing to do with an R or a D in front of name of those who ran for president this time around- it was such much bigger than that.  Rather it has everything to do with our future of our great country and the progress we have made to be a nation of decent and inclusive human beings, along with my hope for you. 

As you slept very peaceful in your rooms last night, I stayed up and watched the results of this historical night-  my heart breaking with each state coming in for our 45^th President, Donald Trump.   Never has a political event made me feel so discouraged.  Waking up today and looking at you, knowing the result- I realized why it was different.  For the first time, I was worried about the United States being ‘okay’.  I was worried about our social rights and the progress we have made over hundreds of years.  I wasn’t worried about the political issues because I know those will work out, we are resilient as Americans and policies come and go.  Instead, I was worried and distraught about the thought of having the most power person in the world, be someone who could easily set the country, and your generations, back years from this progress.  You see, it wasn’t that long ago that we lived in an America where being bigoted, hateful, and non-inclusive was the norm.  And while we have a long way to still go (at the time I write this), the progress we have made has been great.  I assume history has already shown you the many examples of where his own words and actions gave so many this same fear.  What I hope is, when you are reading this, his hateful and divisive traits never made it into the fabric of our country again. In fact, I am truly pulling for him to be the President of all people, but I am struggling at the time of this letter to believe that will happen.  I would never be so happy to have been wrong.  

I would imagine you are asking yourself- how in the world did we get to this point?  Well there are many reasons, but as you read this, I am sure it is clear by now.  In short many of those who supported him acknowledged he wasn’t their first choice- but were willing to look past that for the opportunity to change our “corrupt” political system.  The ironic thing is- he has a history of corruption himself.  While we are on the topic of those who voted for him, please understand I truly believe most them are good people who care(d) about our country and about people.  However, they felt even with his divisive personality that it was worth the tradeoff, something only history will tell if it was correct.  But the ‘people’ spoke (well let’s say the political system spoke- the majority of the U.S. voted against him). Hopefully by the time you read this, the electoral college will be only something you are reading in history books.  Back to the subject though.  What bothered me most is that we (as a country) elected a man that said, acted, and didn’t apologize for being hateful, bigoted, and hurtful to so many different groups of Americans. I didn’t care if he had an R, D or I as his party affiliation.  I just thought we were so past those things and people who made this country non-inclusive.

As the day went on and I wrote this letter, my distraught has turned into hope. I felt this time in our history was an excellent time to teach you a lesson in life- thus I ‘penned’ this letter.  I don’t think I am giving the spirit of the human being enough credit, while giving to much credit to one man who is notorious for spewing a lot of hate.  I hope when you read this we see that his hatefulness didn’t come with him to the White House, but if it did I hope history has shown the good of the human spirit and we overcame it.  But as a dad, who is living it in the moment, I felt compelled to talk to you. Here is how we can fight against the hate that someone like our 45^th President has shown thus far (in November 2016!).  I think you can take them as a microcosm of life.

1.       As a woman, no person has the right to grab you anywhere without your consent.  I don’t care how powerful or not the person is.  Also, standup when you hear something that doesn’t make you comfortable, because in the end it isn’t ‘the way men talk.’ 

2.       Being a bully isn’t okay, even if they can get themselves to the Presidency.

3.       Be inclusive!! I hope we didn’t lose this as a society with him in power.  People have died ensuring we all have the same rights.  Never treat people different based off the color of someone’s skin color, religion, looks, gender or sexual orientation.  Never say someone can’t do something or isn’t welcome based off these.  Even if you can reach success like being President while doing so.

4.       NEVER mock or disrespect anyone who has a disability or struggling at any point in their life.  Even if you can reach success like being President while doing so.

5.       Be grateful and respectful to those who have served and who do serve our country.  Including those who were POW’s.  Just because they were captured doesn’t mean they aren’t heroes as our 45^th president thought/thinks.

6.       Your words have power and meaning- think before you speak.  Many times, they are just as power as your actions.  Something I hope #45 has learned.

7.       Finally, sometimes bullies win and things don’t go our way.  It’s part of life.  But we can overcome this with being good and decent people and knowing that God has overcome the world.  Accept them and support them to become better people, but also hold your ground if they aren’t willing to change.

I love you both!  I hope this reflection teaches a lesson of where we were in our history as a country, but more important I hope no matter how his presidency turned out, you understand you have the choice to make this world a better place.  This country and this world is so much bigger than one person, and love can overcome anything.

Love-

Dad

An Everyday Real Life Hero

I sat in awe yesterday listening to how one person changed the lives of so many. Dan Hose left an amazing legacy and impact on this world and the people he encountered in it.  A true hero and role model on how to navigate life while we are here on earth.  I have met very few people who seemed to know God the way he did. He made loving others and giving to others seem so effortless. He was a 'real life' hero.  

We shared a love for sports, journalism, and Ohio State Football. On this past Wednesday, I covered my first ever Ohio State Football press conference - this was less than 24 hours after he passed away. I can’t help to think this was no coincidence. And I have no doubt that he was sitting somewhere in Heaven smiling down on me-- with that familiar smile he would have had if I were telling him the details of the day at our annual Thanksgiving Day dinner. 

This past week I started thinking about the impact he made. Maybe it was because we shared a love for journalism, but I always wanted to interview him. I wanted to know about his life in sports, the most exciting people he interviewed, but something inside me always wanted to know more about his thoughts on life. I was always intrigued by his genuine passion for not only sports but for people as well.   

During his memorial service I realized that interview never took place. But little did I know that the interview would take place, this time though without me asking any questions. You see, answers to questions I could have never thought of were shared during this day. The interview took place as people memorialized him. I saw the impact he made on his family because he was a Christian man. I heard the compassion he had for people in the stories they told about how he made on their lives better. I learned the selflessness he had by making an unfathomable (to a normal person) number of visits to the sick. I was in awe of how he would slow to anger and how a stranger never existed to him.  I was excited to hear of his talents as a sports writer and the respect he had within the industry. The words people used to describe him seemed to repeat; loving, a great man, a gentleman, mentor, and a fine example of how to live. Each of these words from people of all different walks of life. However, they all had one thing in common….Dan Hose was their friend and he treated them each as if they were his best.

I was most humbled by his relationship with God. I saw the sadness in the his longtime preachers eyes, trying to make it through his memorial service. In the same way, I saw his admiration for Dan Hose’s love for God. As the preacher spoke I wondered to myself, how many people did Dan Hose bring to God? How many people because of the way Dan lived his 78 years of life, become close to God? How many total strangers did he cheer up with his uncanny ability to say the right thing at the right time?  As the stories continued, the answer became clear.... MANY.  Many people’s lives changed for the better because they had the great pleasure to know Dan Hose.

Uncle Danny taught many about life, love, and most important God's love. He often did this through the way he lived his life. A life we can use as an example when we want to challenge ourselves to become better. I left Uncle Danny’s memorial service the same way I did each time I got to see him…….a better person. What better example of a hero is really needed? 

Words

I was just looking back and my last blog was from Jan!  Man, I really need to get on these things. 

Words-

I was reminded the other day of how words can impact people.  Not only the words themselves-but the way we SAY them-and WHEN we say them.  I once heard a quote-‘sometimes there just aren’t any words’…meaning sometimes there aren’t words to describe a situation or a feeling.   However more often or not, our words hold more meaning then we know.

I was subbing a while back at a Pre-K school-in Columbus.  I heard a phrase that was funny-yet caught the essence of what our words mean.  Two kids were fighting over a toy.  The kid who wanted the toy, wouldn’t say what he wanted, he just grunted, cried, pushed, pulled and finally went into a full fit!  When the teacher approached the situation, she simply pulled both kids aside and used a phrase, one that I think we all can take a lesson from.  She looked at the little boy who was having trouble asking for the toy and said, “Tell Jenny with your WORDS what you want”.   I heard this expression throughout the day several times.  “Use your WORDS”, “Tell her you didn’t like that, using your WORDS”, "Your WORDS just hurt his feelings, can you please tell him you are sorry"- etc.  

What is the lesson taught here?  Well outside the obvious-it’s not nice to hit and cry when you want something.  The lesson would be, people don’t know what you want unless you tell them.  People don’t know how you feel, unless you tell them.  And finally, always be aware of the impact your WORDS have on other people. 

This story and lesson flashed in my mind a couple of weeks ago.   I was having somewhat of a down day.  I don’t have many of these, but when I do, I seem to magnify them.  I was leaving work and thinking about something somone had said to me that day-it wasn't a very nice thing, although I don't think the met to say it the way they did.  Their WORDS, were easly taken out of context by me.  As I was walking out of the building, I rounded the corner only to find someone coming right toward me-he is a person I hold with high reguard at my work.  He was also the central part of my thought process at that exact moment in time.  As I was analzing what the other person earlier in the day had said to me-I was just thinking, what woud he think of this?  I looked up at him, and it was almost like he had read my mind.

He stoped-looked at me and simply smiled-and paid me a compliment, which totally blew the negative thought I was just having out of my mind.   Funny thing is, he had no clue of the day’s events that had me thinking negative-nor could he have known about them. 

Okay, so whats the point?  My point is, his unsolicited and completely random compliment and assurance, changed my total attitude for the day, but also for the bigger situation I was thinking about.  He had no clue his words would do so much!  Because he took the time to say what he had on his mind, it totally changed the dynamic of my thought process.  It would have been easy for him to go on about his day and just say hello. 

I have challanged myself to this, and I hope you might do the same- next time you are thinking something nice about someone, simply tell them.  Or if you are randomly thinking of someone, shoot them off a text, just to say hi and that you were thinking of them.  Smile at the stranger walking down the street (remember sometimes there are no words ;), be nice to the waitress or waiter at your table-tell your wife, husband, girlfriend, or boyfriend what they mean to you.   We get to choose how we will use our words.  Words and actions for that matter, are such a powerful tool we can use to make a difference in the lives of others.

Learning Life lessons-A real important one

Two of my favorite quotes of all time are:

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.”

 - Ann Landers

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience”

-Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

These quotes have so much true meaning about life.  One I feel captures the essence of how we should treat people and the other reminds me the limits I have, are within my human mind. 

It’s funny how we can get into a routine of our busy lives and think we are treating people the right way, yet not really know the impact we are having on people.  Something happened to me over the Christmas Holiday while I was at home in Marietta.  Something helped me realize, that maybe I didn’t understand the meaning of fully treating people the correct way.  It was as if an internal switch had been turned and I had feelings involved that are hard to describe.

I came to the realization that although I try and I think I am treating people the right way, that maybe I wasn’t in the most pure sense.  An example of this would be, if I saw someone in need of help, say with a flat tire on the side of the road.  Of course I would pull over and help them, without question.  But was I really doing it to help the PERSON, or was I so programmed into helping because it was the right thing to do?  I know that might sound strange, and some might wonder what the difference is, or does it really matter?  After all I am helping someone/treating someone nice. 

I started to realize that I was doing things more for the reason of ‘it’s the right thing to do’, rather than feeling the empathy or passion for the person.  It’s like the person you see in the hall every day at work.  You know, the one who we say hello to and ask how the family is doing, or how they are doing.  But do we actually take the time to care and put meaning into those questions or are we just saying those things to be nice?  Now, I am not staying that making conversation in the hall with someone is wrong or fake.  I mean after all we are still being nice to the person.  I simply pointing out the fact that, if we aren’t careful with ‘being nice or helpful in passing’-it can start to diminish the true sense of caring for and about people.  It becomes a matter of kindness but with lost meaning.

Being around family during the Christmas holiday, I think God used that time to slow things down for me, to show me-just because I was treating people the ‘right way’,  didn’t necessarily  mean I was doing it within the spirit of true kindness and true helpfulness.  I had yet to discover that next level or love and kindness for others.  I found myself getting caught up in the routine of helping the SITIUATION, and not specifically the PERSON.    

 I have heard people say many times, “I didn’t know what it was like to love my spouse, until I loved them through Christ or until I found God’. “

I think God was teaching me this-how to not only ‘love through Him’, but also how to treat and truly understand people, with the true meaning of kindness and helpfulness, ‘through Him’.   It’s amazing once you start to learn this, how you see things in a much different light.  It appeared it was my time for God to take me to this next level of understanding.  And as it always seems to be, God’s timing was impeccable.

Here is how it kind of happened:

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year were two of the longest days that I have experienced, ever.  I wrote the following down, because I knew something different was going on with me, I knew something was changing in my life.  Here is what I wrote:

I had conversations today that took me back in time.

-memories today that brought every 'sense' and person to life. There were smells so vivid they took my soul back to an exact moment in time. I could 'taste' the past, 'feel' their presence, 'hear' their laughter, and 'see' why each one had been put in my life.

Today was one of the best days I have ever had. The depth of life I learned today, from watching, listening, and remembering took my understanding of life to a whole new level.

At the time I wrote this, I didn’t know exactly what change was going on.  I just knew that my understanding of people was totally different than I had experienced.  This was kind of a shock, as I felt I ‘knew’ people pretty well.  I thought I treated people pretty well.  And, overall I did.  I think the difference was, I was doing it at what I can best describe as ‘surface level’.  

This new understanding made me feel almost bad at first.  It’s like I hadn’t really taken the time to stop, to listen, and to understand people while they were communicating with me.  Now, if you are reading this and thinking, ‘man I knew it, I knew he was always blowing me off’, please don’t be offendedJ.    I wasn’t trying to ignore anyone’s feelings or disregard their thoughts.  I just didn’t understand what true unselfishness (for a lack of a better word), was. 

What I have found out over the past few weeks is; I truly did care about people and wanted to help people in any way that I could, I was just doing it at the only level I knew how at the time.  God hadn’t taught me this new part of life yet.  Maybe I wasn’t ready for some reason, or maybe its part of understanding Him better in my spiritual journey.  Whatever it may have been, I am starting to understand what the old adage was all about.  I am now learning to love and treat people ‘through Christ’.  Inside for me it’s no longer, ‘surface level’.   It was no longer about me, it’s about other people.  Again a concept I understood before this, and tried to live, but one I would come to find out, I really didn’t have a clue about the true meaning of.

The conversations I speak to above were ones with family I was having during Christmas Eve and Day.  Literally, it was like everything slowed down.  I was taking their words, thoughts, situations, feelings, and processing them totally different.   I always cared for what people had to say and would pay attention.   But now, what they were telling me was the only thing that mattered during the conversations.  I no longer wanted to talk (shocker I know), and not that I was a big ‘one upper’ or at least hope I wasn’t, I no longer cared to jump in and say, “I know what you mean, this one time I….”.  “I”, didn’t matter anymore.

The memories I speak of were of the past.  They were of past Christmas’s, but also past memories in general.  But they were literally so ‘slowed down’ that the vividness brought all my sense to life, they took me back in time.  I remembered specifically my Grandma Mary and her ‘buckeye’ candy she would make during the holidays.  I could taste, feel and smell her kitchen at that moment in time.  On Christmas day I was in a room when my aunt Garnet walked in.  I instantly felt my Uncle Dwayne’s presence.  It made me smile.  He was one of those people that could change the dynamic of a room as soon as he walked in.  And on that day, I feel he walked in with her, because his presence was overwhelming.  Throughout the day I heard his laughter as stories and jokes were being told,  many of which he told himself over the years.

My Grandma Cassady had always gotten me cherry flavored candy canes for Christmas.  I had accepted this year, was going to be the first year I wasn’t going to get them.  It was the first year without her during Christmas.  However when I went to visit my parents on Christmas Eve there they were, a couple boxes of cherry candy canes.  I never asked my mom if she bought them for me, knowing Grandma wouldn’t be this year or if she just ‘happened’ to buy them.  Either way I know they were from Grandma.  As soon as I saw the box, my soul went back to Christmas’s past with her.  This time though it was different.  I actually felt like I knew the ‘real’ meaning of Christmas and what family met, at least a deeper understanding than I did before.  She loved that time a year more than anyone I ever have known.   This time it wasn’t about getting my favorite candy- This time, in those memories, I felt more ‘there’ at her house, than when it actually happened all of those years ago.

I also went to Mass on Christmas Eve.  I don’t know why, but more than any other time I had been told the story of Christmas-I actually felt a deeper level of understanding of what Christmas was.  It was like a light came on and it all made sense, at a philosophical/soulful (if that is a word) level.   Maybe that was God’s parallel.  If I could start to understand the true magnitude of what happened on the real Christmas, then I could start to understand people and how they should be treated at a deeper level.  Whatever it was, I was glad I was now ready to learn this new part of my journey.

The second quote “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience” ties prefect into what I experienced.  I have learned that when I try and control something or stress about things, or think I have everything figured out when it comes to my purpose- those are all about me putting HUMAN limits on myself.  But as the quote says, I am merely a spiritual being, having a human experience.  So I am learning.  Why limit my mind and soul to those human limitations, when I can keep learning the things God has ready for me and is just waiting to show me.  Like how to truly love and treat others, not through the human limitations I know but through the spiritual love and kindness, which know no limits.

The Dream that is.....Gameday Broadcasting

Magic

I guess it started from when I was a kid. I wasn’t like most other kids my age (ha, I am not like most adults my age, some would argue), I would much rather have listened to a game on radio than watch it on TV. It didn’t matter what sport, I was just fascinated with radio and sports. Many warm summer nights I would go to my room, open a window, and let the warm air blow in, while flipping on the radio and letting Marty and Joe bring me the action, hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles away.(this was the Reds radio team, for those who might not know..Marty is still at it) Yet they would paint a picture so clear with their words and voices, I would feel as if I were in the press box with them watching the games. As much as I liked Marty and Joe as a kid, no one at least for my money was better than our local guys Johnny Wharff and the WMOA staff of sportscasters. Often catching him along with his legendary father in the booth covering all things Marietta sports, both college and high school.

As I grew older sports radio still played a part in my life.  Late in high school, I found the gold mine (at least that is what I thought it was) of all day ESPN radio. What could be better, than people talking sports on the radio all day? I told you I wasn’t normal!

So it would be natural for me to go into radio journalism in college, right? Well not so much. While I loved radio and sports, I had yet to be exposed to it ‘behind the scenes.’ I guess I didn’t think much about it, I was going to school to teach or become a business man. I didn’t think of radio as a career.

As I went through college, early on I was given an opportunity to do an ‘internship’ with the Akron Zips football broadcasters. I thought, heck why not. It would be a way to get into the games free and see what broadcasting was all about behind the scenes.

That experience, needless to say was amazing; in fact I did it for two years. Also around this time, during summer break from College, I worked at mystical WMOA radio station, of my childhood past. I was ‘running’ the station on Sat and Sun nights. I like to think I ran the station, however it pretty much ran itself, but it sounds better for the story when I say I ran it!

One of those summers, I managed to work my way into the press box (at then) Pioneer Park, to see how Johnny and his broadcast partner Mark, worked their craft.  During one of my visits to the booth, I somehow slide my way into the Color commentary chair one day, to call one batter, with Johnny while Mark was on a food run. You can imagine, I was like that kid again. But unlike 12 years before when I just pictured what it was like in a broadcast booth, I was there living it in color. I put a pair of headsets on for the first time, and the magical voice of Johnny Wharff , went into one ear, stopped at my brain, allowing me to see that picture once again as I did as a kid, and went out my ear;

“The 1-1 pitch on the way, and taken for a ball by the Pioneer batter, I would like to welcome in Aaron Cassady to the booth, Aaron……” Johnny would go onto ask me a few questions, and allow me to add my ‘commentary about the game.’  While it was just one batter that moment as far as broadcasting goes, will always be near the top of my memories. It was what totally blew me away, and hooked me."  

It’s amazing how a person can give you a break in life, and it totally propels you into a whole new ‘era’ in your life.  Johnny did that for me that day.  And knowing the type of guys he is, he probably didn’t even know he did anything special.  He was just helping a young college kids ‘learn’ the ropes.  I have since thanked him and let him know the impact he has had on me, not only as the ‘mystical’ person that came through my radio as a youth, but also as the young man, that he would be giving  a ‘chance’.

College in Akron came and went, and then a move to Columbus. During that time, I would talk to someone here and there from a station, in hopes to call games. I tried mostly with little stations around the area, seeing if they coved local high school games. But to no luck, they either didn’t do games or didn’t need any more help.

I was starting to become successful in my business career and a local University in Columbus (who didn’t have sports by the way to cover), yet I still had the burning memory and sound etched in my head, of Johnny’s voice coming through my headphone that summer day. Something kept telling me to broadcast games on the side, not for a career but as a passion. But I had no demos to give to stations, Central Ohio I was finding was very under coved as far as local high school or college sports went, and I was running out of stations to send emails to, letting them know my situation. I mean, looking back, I am sure some of these stations were a bit confused. Random email from a guy with little experience, no demos, works full time outside the radio business, and says he will work for free to get experience…Humm!!!, is a sound from the mouth of those reading an email from me, followed by a click of the mouse to delete the email.

God’s working
God works in ways that I will never be able to explain. Yet I have seen His work to often to ever question His presence. I am too often impatient to realize that sitting back and letting Him do His thing, works out way better than me trying to figure it out.

This is the part in the story of how gamedaybroadcasting.com came to me.  Above is why, so here is how, and I promise to keep it brief. This is also why I like radio, I could have said all of this in 10 min on air, but it has taken me an hour to write..

(This section I kind of go half story on you/half bullet points--- story goes a bit quick)

One last ditch effort I email Tony Castricone from 97.1 the Fan in Columbus, on pure Faith it would work (was then AM 1460 the Fan). I knew Tony has done some work in High School sports, I had heard him fill in for the local sportscasters, and he seemed to just be down to earth. So I pick him to email. (I say I picked him, but I would later find out, God put it in my heart to email him of all the people I could have.)

Email back from Tony-He says not only will he talk with me a little bit about the ‘business’, but he wants to do it face to face. I meet with Tony, he gives me some great advice, but the meeting more than anything, re-assured me that I really want to do broadcasting, not as my career, but something bigger.  A way to give back to a community and fill a passion in doing so.

Few months go by: I am working in community relations as my ‘day job’ at the college mentioned above. Random email comes to my boss about a broadcasting open house at a small radio station in Columbus. It was inviting our broadcasting students to the open house, the station needs our help promoting the event to students. (Funny thing- we don’t have broadcasting major therefore no broadcasting students.) My boss, knowing I love broadcasting, emails it to me as an ‘FYI’.   As if she didn’t know exactly what I was going to do.  Another example of a person watching out for someone else, and wanting to see that person be successful.

I email the station back telling them we have no students; however I would like to attend. Lucky for me, the open house is open to the public and 4 spots were open. I didn’t know what to expect, but I thought it couldn’t hurt. Also around this time, my boss had introduced me to a guy who had over 25 years of experience in radio; he was doing some partnership work with us at the college.

I go to the open house, I immediately try and pick out the person who I think ‘runs the show’. This station wasn’t a sports station, nor did they cover a local team, but at this point my thinking was just getting some more experience and making contacts, just wanting something part time.  I find ‘the boss’, and talk to him after the open house- During the open house, they let the people attending know they might need someone coming up in the next month or two to work a weekend shift. Well that’s all I needed to hear. Left with a very good feeling, but didn’t hear anything back after a month.

Meanwhile I meet with the radio guy of 25 years (Eddie), to talk about the biz. And man did I spill it on him. I talked to the poor man, I think for two hours about radio and how I wanted to do my own thing on the side, as a passion as a service to a community. Eddie plays an important part later on, along with this night.

Get an email on a Wednesday-From the guy from the station whom had the open house. Almost two months had gone by and he was right, they were looking for a part time person. He remembered me from talking with him that night and wanted to bring me in. Tell my boss, I talking a vacation day Thursday; have to take care of something. Get the part time job, running the board at WRFD, on Sat and Sunday morning from 5:45am-noon. Hey, it’s part time and I am the new guy, what do you expect?   Once I start working there, I find out one of the guys at the station does high school games about a half hour north of Columbus, I tag along for a few, but he has his partner, so no real need for me.

Meanwhile-I shoot one more email to a local station about 20 min east of Columbus, WCLT. I have listened to them cover sports, and they very similar to WMOA from home. Local owned and operated.  And Johnny Wharff know the owner as well.

What-da ya know, an email back.  The program director Curtis says “Aaron I might have something open during the winter for basketball (this email is sometime in Oct.), do you have any demo’s to send and can you come meet me this week? Ah ha, this time I can figure out the demo part, remember I now work at a station with full access to a studio. I can record something, anything would be good, and I do just that. End up doing some work with WCLT for basketball that season, now I have REAL audio from a games and some experience.

Learned from Curtis that many stations are ‘streaming games online’ as well as carrying them live on the FM or AM dial. WLCT had just done this during football season, so I learn all I can from Curtis on how this works. Also find out that WCLT might be doing it again next football season. I call up Eddy (25 year radio guy) to tell me more about streaming games online, how’s it’s done, etc. Eddy had mentioned this to me in our other meeting but I kind of blew it off thinking it wasn’t something I could do. Now I insist he tells me.

Jump ahead. Find out during the summer that WLCT decided to scratch the idea of doing games online during football. So it was all now up to me. If I really wanted to do this whole broadcasting thing, I was going to have to do it on my own. Which I had been thinking about all winter just in case WCLT wasn’t going to do it. I found out how, when, where, who, and whatever else you can think of. I pretty much found out, there is a whole world out there of independent broadcasters. Some do it as their business and do as many as 200 plus games a year. They simple have a ‘host’ site, create a website, buy some equipment, and bam, there you go. They sell commercial spots like any other station would do to support their cost.  The set up is the exact same thing you would see with a 'real radio' station..Except insted of sending the broadcast signal to a tower, it is sent into the computer and then online.

The Start
So in the Summer/Fall 2009 I create my own website, find a host, buy my equipment, find a local team to cover and I am ready to roll. I even convince my friends Eric and Billy to do color commentary for me for FREE! I come up with Gameday Broadcasting as the name, mostly because my wife says it’s catchy.

On a late Aug sat afternoon we go live for the first time, covering the Hilliard Davidson Wildcats, a local high school team. Ohh yeah, we are going live from a little place I have always wanted to broadcast from, The Horse Shoe (Ohio Stadium), home to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Check that one off the bucket list. Hilliard also goes on to win the State title for 2009; it has to have something to do with us, right?

Our home

The 2009 first year of broadcasting went great.  Hilliard won the state title, we got good support from their fans.  However I still felt something was missing.  That ‘home town’  feel was something I was searching for. 

In the summer of 2010 I reached out to a local community just east of Columbus.  New Albany.  I started talking to their coaches, business, boosters and community.   New Albany was who we were going to cover to start with in 2009, however decided to cover Hilliard due to some contacts we already had in the school system.  What I found in my talks during the summer of ’10 was an amazing community.  A great head coach, businesses who were very supportive, and a boosters club and school that is first class.  We found a home for Gameday Broadcasting gamedaybroadcasting.com.  I found a place that I could continue my dream calling play by play for radio, but also build a grassroots effort in making a difference through a media service.  Some might think, really how can  you make a difference by calling football games?  I sometimes wondered the same thing.  How could I take this passion and make a difference.  I mean, I knew how great it was in high school to have a local hometown station cover games, but I guess I took for granted what it means to a community. 

I knew we were making a difference outside of kids getting to hear their name on radio when they went back and listened.  In week one, of the football season I started getting emails like this:

‘Thanks for providing this broadcast. I am on out of town and can listen to the game!’

“wow!! that was something…Nice job again guys. Really exciting broadcast; lots of excitement and the tension at the end had us all on our feet back here in Boston. Congrats to the Eagles and all New Albany fans”

Hi guys!
No kidding. I listen to a lot of my alma mater BC football on Boston radio and the two of you do a better job calling a game and getting the listener connected to the action and excitement.

you and the guys are doing such a great job...
You are helping to make New Albany Football even better....THANKS!
Go Eagles!

I wanted to thank you for broadcasting the New Albany games on the internet. I am the aunt of a player and live out of town, due to a recent death in my family I cannot be there but I can listen to New Albany football every friday! Keep up the good work !

Please send a hello to ____he will be in the hospital tonight recovering from surgery and will be listening.

You do such a tremendous job and I can't even begin to tell you the great words I receive about the job you do from people in our community who talk with me on a continuous basis. You are making a difference in our community and for our kids and that says alot about the 3 of you. So, thank you from a Board member, a sports fan and from somebody who loves to see people make a difference. I truly appreciate it.

I am listening from Iraq!

Those are a few emails we are getting.  This shows me we are making a difference to a community.  A solider in Iraq passing time by listening to use.  Someone in the hospital now able to listen to a game because we are broadcasting it.  An uncle from Boston who can listen to every game now….

I get to do something I love, for the love of it,,.,not for the money..while doing it with two of my best friends in the word, while making a difference….to me, that’s what it’s all about.  That’s why I started this company. 

The purpose in this blog, wasn’t to talk just about me…although that’s what I mostly did.  I want people to see how you can dream and dream, and live it.  Yes, I am not broadcasting for ESPN, or a major station.  But sometimes you have to create your own opportunities to live your dream.  I have called 5 games from Ohio States stadium.  No, it wasn’t the buckeyes that I got to call; it was high school games being played there.  But my goal was to one day call a game from there….and I found a way to do it.  Also during this whole process, I have met some amazing broadcasters, and I am making contacts I thought I would never have, sometimes I an in awe of who some of them are.  All because God put it in my heart, to accomplish this goal on my ‘bucket list’.

My point is, if a kid from Marietta Ohio can live a dream, you CAN as well.  If you have a dream or something you have always wanted to do, DO IT...Find away... It might not be the exact way you wanted to do it, but you still can live some part or the whole dream. 

If you are ever board on a crisp fall night or sipping some hot coco on a winter Friday night or craving the sound of summer baseball, check out gamedaybroadcasting.com.  Sit back and listen and know the voice on the other side is humbled beyond anything you can think of. 

You never know where we will be, I know I don’t. I gave that up a long time ago to God. He seems to know what’s best for me; after all He put the desire for me to do this and HE filled this dream!

Being Thankful

Today's I was driving along and was thinking of all the great people and 'things' that I have in my life.  And it totally blew me away.  I will often do this, as it seems to keep things in perspective.  It also allows you to realize and be thankful when things are going well in your life, for what you have.  But it's also human to not realize what you have, until something bad happens in life to either you, or someone you love.  Then it makes you realize.  We also all too often, just think about life and what we have during the holidays, no more so, than the two that are approaching in the next few months.

I recently put a note in our bathroom, near the sink/mirror, the first place I go when I wake up.  So I can't help to see when I reach to turn on the water, a note that tells me a few things:

It tells me to 'take one day at a time'.  Sounds simple, and easy enough to do, however it might be one of the most difficult things to do.  With today's fast paced world, and thinking about all the things we have to do, it’s hard to take one day at a time.  I used this method to lose 40lbs over the summer.  Recovering alcoholics use it to help them with not drinking.  So over the summer I was thinking, maybe it could help me in my goal to change my weight.  And it did!  My mentality was, I know for one day I could get my 1-2 hours of exercise in, I knew for that day I wouldn't drink soda, I knew for that day I could eat healthy.  I knew I had control over that day.  What I didn't know, was what tomorrow was going to bring.  And that was okay.  Because today I knew, was all I had for sure.

Not only did that help me with my goal of losing weight, it also all of the sudden, put life into perspective.  Each day I wake up now, I know I can have control of that day.  The one day at a time approach, allowed me to notice 'life'.  I walk outside now, and I actually hear the birds, I actually 'feel' the warm sun or cold air.  I appreciate the voice of my wife when I talk to her, or my family when I talk to them. It made me a more patient person as well.  The person who drives 10 mph below the speed limit in front of me now, doesn’t bother me.  I realize they aren't doing it out of malice.  It just has made me aware of 'life', and the 'things' for lack of a better word, that are in my life.  Something now as simple as new bed sheets and the smell of them, or sometimes I will stop and realize out of the blue, how lucky I am to have my hearing, or my sight, or the ability to walk.  There are people that would do love to be able to do those.  One day at a time has made me appreciate life.  I know that sounds really strange, that something as small as the smell of new sheets is something that makes me appreciate life, but I use that as an example that,  if you take the time to think for a second, those would be the first things you would miss.

One of the things that started my reflection today was I was thinking about my Grandma Cassady, who went to be with God about 6-7 months ago.  She took life, and lived every little bit out of it.  She was a great person to learn from growing up.  She loved this time of the year.  I miss her a lot, and I am thankful for the 27 years I got to spend with her.  The follow is a letter I had read at her funeral. 

There is an acronym that has the letters L-T-M-A-L.  And at first glance these letters formed together mean nothing.  They don’t spell a word, and if you try and sound it out, you might sound silly in doing so.  However these letters with the meaning they had behind them, changed my world forever. 

I once asked my Grandma and Grandpa, what this abbreviation meant.  After all, we would visit them, and we would see it everywhere.  A note on the door, another one on Grandma’s crossword book, or one on the remote that Grandpa kept close to his chair. 

Little Things Mean A Lot, they told me.  Still to this day, I don’t know the story of how it got started, or what it truly meant to them.  I was so blown away of the power of that statement, and I figured the story behind it was ‘theirs’, and that is what made it so special to them.

However, from that day on, I’ve used it to guide me through this, often times curious world we live in.  Those words, I am convinced is how Grandma saw the world.  Simple, when broken down to its core, yet serious enough that life and those in it, mean a lot, even the small things.

As we celebrate my Grandma’s life today, L-T-M-A-L has never meant so much.  The little things that meant a lot to me will never be lost.  A statement so powerful, that you can use it as a pillar in living your life and a statement in how we can treat others. 

We each have memories of the little things she had done for us.  Many of those today will be told, and others, like the true meaning behind the reason they used it, will be a secret between us and her.   Grandma was a teacher of life, a trait I am sure she was too humble to know she had.  Little did she know, the impact of how those little things she did for us, might just positively impact a life.

Her teachings and her love came natural.  Her smile and kindness touched your soul, and calling her my Grandma is something that will always be an honor. 

One day we will meet again, in a place so magical no earthly words are fit to describe it.  Until then, I celebrate a life of someone who will never be replaced, and her love and memories will always remain.  I will take her passion for life and remind myself everyday to remember that, Little Things Mean A Lot.  And not only do they mean a lot, but what they can do for one’s life.

I end with what I think are the fitting words from Dr. Seuss,

‘Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened!’

Today Grandma I smile because your life happened, and I was blessed enough to be in it as your Grandson.

After all, a SMILE is a Little Thing That Means A Lot.

Take the time and tell those who you love and care for, that you love them.  Tell them how important they are to you.  My Grandma did this every chance she got with me.  And now that she is gone, I have taken that with me every day.  Reflect on the 'little things', because they truly do mean a lot.

God

Okay here comes the blog that might make some uneasy.  We are always taught, you don't discuss religion or politics in public!!  But why?  Why can't we be taught at a young age to have tolerance for other people's thoughts and views on things.  Can both of these topics get emotional?  yes!  But both are supposed to teach understanding of each other, and how to work together.  Yet we are taught not to talk about them?  Maybe if we talked more about them, we could better understand each other, and learn to use emotion in the right ways-not in the way of anger.

This is a lengthy post, but I think it needed to be.  To make it easier to read, I broke it into mini-posts, the BOLD titles being a new thought.

My Base-

I said in my first blog that some would find my views of religion interesting.  Some will not agree, some will say I don't have a 'good' base.  Some will say I am to 'wishy' on topics, that I don't have a strong stance.  Othesr would say I believe in to many things that can't be proven, or that they are based to much on blind faith.

Let me settle all of that.  As you read this, keep in mind a few things.  I wouldn't win a debate on Bible facts.  I couldn't tell you a bunch of quotes or verses from the Bible(although I have a personal goal of learning more).  In fact, I have never read the Bible all the way through.(again something I am working toward).  I dont' have a 'defined' religion.  So while you read this, please remember, I have a lot to learn, but I would argue so do those have have studied religion for years and those that say they are religious

The specific religion topic.

I actually once had someone who didn't know what to believe, say this description made sense to them.  They were asking, which denomination was right, which was wrong, etc.  They asked for my opinion, and I simply told them this(he was a former football player):

Think of religion as football.  In the analogy below I use football terms followed by my comparison to religion in ( ).

In football you have coaches(leaders in the church).  Each coach has his philosophy on how a team should win(denomination).  Some think the power running game is best, others like the spread offense, some the option.  On defense some like the 3-4, 4-3, etc.. The common thing each of these coach's have though, is to get their players to win games(become better in life).  Each coach wants to make sure his players experience the thrill of winning a championship(ultimate goal in life if you believe is to go to Heaven when you die). 
Now please note.  I am not trying to disrespect religion by comparing it to something as simple was football, most understand I am not saying that, just want to make that clear though
What that analogy does do, is allows me to explain why I think so many people have hate, in the name of religion.  I believe in the Bible and what it says, that I know.  I don't think they are made up stories, or something that was written by man just 'because'. 

But I do believe the Bible like anything that is written, is open for different peoples interpretations.  I think that is natural.  The core of it remains the same, but some might think of a verse one way and someone else another.  But don't Christian religions have the same goals?  To make people followers of God, to make them better people, to serve others, to have them strive for the ultimate goal, of being with God when it's all said and done?  I think when broken down to it's simplest terms, Christian religions, all want the same, or at least they have the same core.   Just like football coaches have the same core when teaching the game, and set their players up for sucess.  Each has a different way of doing it, and each way over time has had proven sucess.

So which one is right?  Which one will get you to your ultimate goal?  Much like life or in football in my analogy, does just one have to be right?  Haven't different coaches helped their players get to their ultimate goal with different philosophy's?   So should I believe that just because someone is Catholic they will go to Heaven and the person who is Baptist won't?  Didn't they believe in the same God?  Didn't through their religion, they try to know God better and do right as people? 

This is where I think not accepting or accepting others based soloy off religion can be very dangerous.  In my opinion the answers to the questions above, will be a personal search.  My opinion is your relationship with God should be a personal one first, and not one based off a specific religions thoughts.  I think starting with the personal relationship, God will lead you to a religion that fits you best.  But my point is, as long as the 'core' is the same, but the interpretation on how to teach it is different, why should that matter?


How I got where I am with my beliefs-

Growing up my parents didn't have a specific Church.  What they did have was an expectation for us as kids.  They expected us to treat people the way we wanted to be treated.  We learned this through their actions.  They encouraged us to have a personal relationship with God.  They talked about God with us, they talked about life with us, and they made sure we had a good foundation of knowing who God is. 

They all worked a lot especially on Sundays, so many times we would go to church on Sundays with other family.  I don't know if it was the teaching that we received from one of those churches or something I saw on t.v., but very early in life I feared God.  One thing I know, it wasn't the teaching my parents wanted me to have.  They would hammer home, that God was a loving God.  But somehow I got this idea that God punished you if you didn't do right.  If you weren't prefect, if you didn't go to church, if you didn't have a religion.  As you can imagine this placed a huge burden on a young child, especially one who wanted to know God more than anything else.  So, needless to say I went through much of my childhood, in fear of God, and not truly knowing him. And again, this was against all that I was taught, at least by my parents and those in my family. 


It all changed

It all changed when I met this person, who totally changed me forever.  Her name?  Heather, who is now my wife.  Heather will have her own posting.  If I were to write a book, Heather would have her own chapter.  She totally changed my life, with a simple smile and hello.

First I think, just meeting Heather started to change my thinking of who God was.  After all, I had done many 'bad' things in my life, yet, I got to meet this person, who took my breath away?  And who by the way, happened to like me too?  So I started thinking, maybe this isn't a God I should be fearful of.  One that I should respect, yes 100%.  But one who I thought punished us, even if we asked for forgiveness?  Maybe not.  Maybe, I started thinking, maybe I was wrong.

From day one, I put Heather on this huge pedestal, way above any girl who I thought would give me a look.  She was popular, played sports, her friends very all very attractive and popular, she drove(i didn't at the time), she was smart, knew what she wanted out of life, to me she just seemed prefect.  (just for a time reference this was my Jr year in HS).  The more Heather and I got to know each other, the quicker I feel in love and the quicker I learned about who God really was.  Yes, even at the age of 17, I recognized that God had sent me my soul mate.   

You have to understand.  At this point in my life, I was pretty lost.  Scared of disappointing God, didn't like school, didn't have the drive to do anything really.  I was a confused kid on the inside, but on the outside put on a 'front' that everything was okay.  And while I know Heather was brought into my life for many reasons, since this blog is about God and how I found Him, I will keep it to how Heather helped get me there.  Often times not even knowing she was doing it.

Heather and I would talk about God, and what we thought life was about.  The more I got to know her, the more I realized she wasn't 'perfect' either, although my love for her kept her on that pedestal.  She too would make mistakes in life, just as I did.  However I noticed, she had a much different attitude than I.  She knew that if she asked for forgiveness for those 'sins', and meant it, she didn't have to worry, they were forgiven.  Now, I knew this to be true, but I up until this point, I never have enough 'confidence' that it worked.  I always felt, if I didn't still feel bad about it, then I wouldn't be fully forgiven.  Seeing this attitude from someone whom I had put so high in my life, allowed me to give this 'new crazy theory' a try. 

Heahter's foundation came from the religion that she grew up with.  One that I always heard people talk about in a negative light.  She was one of those crazy Catholics!  You know 'the ones that think they can drink one day, and just because they ask for forgiveness they think they will be forgiven,  and they didn't have to mean it.'  'You know the ones, they worship Mary, not God.' ' The ones that you have to be all dressed up to go to their church.' 

I hope you can see my sarcasm in those statements.  But as crazy as those sound, those are the type of things I heard from people.   These are statements of people who didn't take the time to learn about a different religion than theirs.  It was easier to just pass on those statements as truth.   My experience the Catholic Religion would be much different.

Catholic Religion and Me

The following is my experience with the Catholic Religion.  Of course different people are going to have different thoughts and experiences.  It might have been the specific church I attended, people who I associated the religion with, etc..

So while God put Heather in my life to show me who He really was, I also think he wanted to show me other things as well.  I started to attend church with Heather. 

For the first time ever in my life, I felt like I was in a church where it was okay to make mistakes.  They of course make it known, like any religion, that you have to be sincere when asking for forgiveness, but attending made me feel free and confident with my relationship with God.

I learned a lot about God and what the Bible talked about.  I was finally learning what it was like to not only have a personal relationship with God, but also how having a specific religion or church to go to could help me build on knowing Him.  I even learned that you wouldn't go to hell if you wore jeans to church.  I know that might sound funny to some, but my mindset was such, that the first time I went to the Catholic Church and saw someone with jeans on, I felt so bad for them, just knowing they were doomed.  As I write this, it is amazing to me how far I have come with my thinking and relationship with God. 

I haven't yet 'converted' to the Catholic Religion.  However, I am thinking about doing so in the next year or so.  I really like the Presbyterian Church as well.  I am doing a lot of soul searching and asking God, which he wants to use, to help me become closer to Him.  The one thing I know and believe in my heart, I don't think He loves His Catholic children anymore than His Presbyterian children, or any other of His children from other religions.

My point in talking about the Catholic Religion and how it shaped me is to show a couple of things.

God put Heather into my life at a time where He saw a young kid lost and scared.  At a time where that kid wanted nothing more than to know Him, but didn't know how.  He used Heather, someone who total blew me away; to show me even though I wasn't perfect, good things could happen to me too. 

I believe He used the Catholic Religion, to show me that while having a personal relationship with Him important, a church and being around other people of faith was important too.   He has shown me the good of other religions since then, to let me know He doesn't favor one over the other.   It is up to us to choose one, that we can learn best about Him based on our thoughts and 'inner' feel we have.

I believe during that time in my life, when I met Heather and really found God, He was teaching me that He loves all, no matter the religion we are seeking Him through.  Think about it; I was a scared kid at the time, who knew nothing about religion, and He put the person of my dreams in my life, let me get to know her as a PERSON first, to then show me she her faith that I admired, came from the religion I heard the worst things about.  By Him doing this,  it's easy to see, He was showing me to look at the person first, get to know them, and not define them based off thier specific religion.

Final thoughts

God has done amazing things in my life.  I try and live a life that allows other people to see Him through my actions.  I think the best way to show or bring people to God, is through our actions and treatment of them.  They will become curious and want to know how they can have the same happiness.  Much like I did with Heather.   The humbling thing is, I fail to live up to this every day, in one way or another.  But I also live up to it in many ways.  The consistent each day though is my effort and intention is pure.

What I don't think is good is to point out to people how bad they are, how God is so disappointed in them, how if they don't believe everything your religion interprets, then they will go to hell.  A while back the phrase WWJD was going wild across the country.  What Would Jesus Do?  Do you think he would love the sinners?  Do you think he would forgive those who stole?  Do you think he would treat the Catholic down the street any different than the Baptist next door, being they both were seeking a relationship with God? 

I thought it was important to talk about God early in my posts.  Because, much of what I do in life is with the thought of how I can best accomplish the purpose He has for me.  My hope also is that someone who is lost like I was, will read this and know- who God really is.  He is neither the fear that I had, nor the God of punishment because I wasn’t perfect.  Yet, He is the God that amazes and humbles me by blessing me with this life and the people in it.  He is the God; I hope everyone gets to know.