Grandpa Responds: “Surprises in My Life?”

I had made the choice to share 80 stories that I thought that the grandkids needed to know about life as seen through the fading eyes of an old man. This is not the same as telling stories that they want to know. Why not invite them to ask their questions?  

Grandchild asks: “What were/are some of your biggest surprises in life?”

My first surprise in life came on January 10^th, 1943 when my mother decided that I should have a baby sister when I was 2+ years old. First of all, she had left me (for 8 days) without my knowledge to the care of a lady across from our house in Braidwood. The next thing I remember was being in the back seat of our car, parked behind a huge building, and my dad and mother returning to the car with mom carrying something in her arms. A baby? Not happy.

This was the first of many lifelong unexpected and unplanned incidents, but by far the most impactful surprise was my unanticipated emergence as an athlete. 

Baseball was my first passion. The proximity of a baseball field a few feet from my backdoor made it easy to project my future as a baseball player. Being tall, skinny, and agile, my frame suited me to be a first baseman or outfielder. I would spend countless hours throwing a rubber ball against the house, catching returning flyballs, or joining neighborhood kids in pickup games on the field.

At age 16, a distant cousin, Don Jacklich from Carbon Hill (near Braidwood), and I decided to try out for our high school baseball team (Joliet Catholic). I was a junior, Jake was a senior. Both of us played in our little hometowns, but now we were trying out for the big time, against kids with Joliet baseball reputations and who labeled us as unknown hicks. First significant surprise for me: we both became starters and led the team in hitting that year.

After two successful baseball seasons, I received a small scholarship to attend Lewis College where I would be the starting first baseman for each of the four years. But the biggest surprise of my life was about to happen. 

Except for a few pickup games, and then as a college freshman playing park league in Joliet and Lockport, I had seldom had the chance to play basketball. Because of my status as an out-of-town grade school (St. Rose) and high school student, I hadn’t had the chance to play basketball on either level. After my first semester at Lewis, I was asked to join the College’s basketball team. I was the greenest rookie player my teammates and coaches had ever seen. Drills and scrimmages were foreign to me, but my head coach, Gordie Gillespie, seemed to think that I had some talent for this sport.

Let’s pause for a minute, kids.

Growing up, I loved playing and being a baseball player. I had no dream or vision of being in the majors. My dream was to be an over-the-road truckdriver. Dad had his own business as a local trucker and he and I would fantasize about the thrill of going across the country in big trucks that crossed through Braidwood on Route 66. Being a basketball player wasn’t on the radar. At all.   

After being on the team for one semester, I was a sophomore starter and led the team in scoring that year and for the next two as well. It all seemed so natural that I can’t remember being surprised at the time. It was only after many years, that I reflected on the fact that it should have been a huge surprise. 

Totally lacking any legitimate path to the NBA, I found myself at the Chicago Zephyrs’ camp (now Washington Wizards) in September of 1962 with other camp participants who had struggled through years of games and practices to get here.

Yes, I was released after one week and headed to a teaching and coaching job that was left open for me in Aurora. There, I started on a 50+ education career that only recently ended with semi-retirement.

Am I surprised that I became a basketball player? Now, I can say that this was the biggest surprise in my life. But when I was 21, I can’t say that I was surprised at all. Go figure.

Sincerely,

Grandpa K

Next blog responds to question: “Can you talk about a bad decision you made? I am curious to hear about how the things we think are “big mistakes” in the moment actually appear in the long run.”

PS: If you want to know more about my luck in becoming a basketball player, see the blogs I wrote some time ago.  

Was I disappointed in not becoming a pro basketball player? Not in the least. https://braidwoodguy.com/2019/07/24/nba-i-gave-it-a-shot/

Despite having never played basketball until I was 18, I was indeed fortunate to compete for four years in college.  Even flukier, I was drafted and signed to a professional contract in the NBA after college. /https://braidwoodguy.com/2018/11/17/lucky-tk-basketball-history/