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Walk-Off: It’s Just About… Life.

May 22, 2013 By markbrodinsky 2 Comments

walk off dad 2
What was it Oscar Wilde said, life imitates art far more than art imitates life?! Chicken or the egg? Or maybe they are simply one in the same.

So the craziest thing happened. Since early yesterday I had thought about writing a blog for this morning, relating life to the Walk-Off Win in baseball. I had just finished watching weekend highlights of the Cleveland Indians doing it to the Seattle Mariners three times in one weekend. Holy cow. How often does that happen?

I enjoy searching for the parts of life which catch your eye, or make you feel good, and then try to find a way to wrap words around them. If the moment has power and significance, then the words about those moments might have the same. Or at least I hope. See once and a while I actually think this through before I sit down in front of the blank computer screen and bleed. I had half of this blog written in my head, then life stepped in to imitate art.

Orioles outfielder Nate McClouth went deep.

Bottom of the 10th inning at Camden Yards, the Baltimore Orioles, mired in a six-game losing streak broke out of it in dramatic fashion, as McClouth mashed a pitch from one of the Yankee relievers into the bleachers in a 2-2 game. Game over. The Orioles win 3-2, on a Walk-Off homerun.

Obviously McClouth knew what I was thinking and was about to write – so he obliged by leading off the bottom half of the 10th with an exclamation point to my blog. I appreciate that Nate, thanks. Life imitating art…see it’s so easy. It’s too good to ignore when the baseball team you have loved for more than 40 years caps off your night with a little magic.

So with that, the blog writes itself. The game which mirrors life quite like no other, provides proof that when you fight to the end, good things can happen. When you play every out, every inning and you are dead even, or even a little behind, if you reach back for something extra, don’t give up and don’t give in, you can make something extraordinary happen. Simply because you believed in yourself and your ability to shine.

How many of us would love to live one of sports greatest moments? To lead your team to victory in the most dramatic fashion and bring thousands of people to their feet, cheering in celebration and admiration for a feat most of us can only dream about. Point is, you can do it to. But will you? Do you? Can you walk-off?

It’s simply the act of doing something extra, something out of the ordinary, the extra in front of ordinary that makes you extraordinary. An extra act of kindness, going the extra mile for someone else, or figuring out what your true talent is in life and then using your passion to fuel your talent and your purpose to touch other people. As many people as possible.

It’s all possible if you are so aligned. Being that special person who other people love and adore because you give back, lift up someone else, make them feel important and find significance in their success. Sometimes that significance can be swinging a bat as a Major League Baseball player and launching a pitch over the fence to end a game and bring not only the fans in the park, but an entire city to its collective feet. Just like Nate McClouth. He is making the most of his G-d given talent to play a game he loves as one of the best in the world. What is your game? And who can you help to lift up, bring to their feet and bring happiness and joy into their lives.

A few years ago I witnessed dramatic evidence of this in my life. There was this man I adored because he made me feel good every time I saw him. And I was far from the only one. Hundreds, if not thousands of people he met in his life felt the same way about him. He was Jerry Gross, the man who eventually became my father-in-law. Three-and-a-half years ago, I stood by his bedside and watched him pass on, one of the saddest days of my life. Taken down by esophageal cancer, Jerry fought hard to the end. He endured all the long drawn-out chemotherapy treatments and then an eight-hour surgery to remove a chunk of his esophagus, and somehow he pulled through it all. But with two days to go before he was to be released from the hospital, he got an infection that his ravaged immune system couldn’t fight off. He was taken back to ICU, and slowly, over the course of excruciatingly emotional days, we watched him die.

But Jerry had played every inning of his life to win. I know because I was lucky enough to have the honor to play on his team, to be part of his life. He played the game, fought through wins and losses, made errors, got big hits, whiffed at the plate, and hit a grand slam or two. And then he got his chance, in the bottom of the ninth, with the game tied, facing a feared closer called Cancer…and from the story I just told you, you might think he went down swinging. You might think he struck out.

Not even close. Because a few days after his death I stood at the podium in a local funeral home and I watched as the people poured in, as walls were pushed open to make more room, chairs were added and eventually there was not a seat to be had in the home. It was standing room only.

Those people, those fans, had come to honor the man who made them feel good about themselves, who gave back to them and who, at that moment, brought an entire community to its feet, literally. Hundreds had come to say goodbye. In his last at-bat, Jerry Gross had won the game.

It was the greatest Walk-Off I’ve ever seen.

I miss you Dad.

Until next time, thanks for taking the time.

Mark

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Comments

  1. Barry says

    May 22, 2013 at 4:12 pm

    Wow!! Profound!! And very true.Good job MB

    Reply
    • Mark Brodinsky says

      May 22, 2013 at 8:47 pm

      Thanks.

      Mark Brodinsky Financial Services Professional New York Life Insurance Company Registered Representative offering securities through NYLIFE (member FINRA/SIPC) Timonium II, 1954 Greenspring Drive, Ste 700, Timonium, MD 21093 Office: 410-938-8238 Cell: 443-865-2795

      If you do not wish to receive e-mails from New York Life and/or NYLIFE, please reply to this e-mail using the words “Opt Out” in the subject line. Please copy e-mail_optout@newyorklife.com New York Life Insurance Co., 51 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010

      Reply

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Love seeing new blogs hit the ground running like this one (by a dad no less), but I also urge anyone vaguely interested in blogging to stay tuned, I am. Good luck on your journey – glad that I am along for the ride.

Rachel Blaufeld

Great blog Mark! I always appreciate reading what you have to say. You are very gifted and talented and hopefully someday you’ll not just blog, but write a book.

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I’m definitely along for the ride. We’ve all seen how much damage the written word can inflict. More positive writers are needed. And I love how you are using your personal experiences – those with your wife and children – and your gift of writing to open eyes and to inspire others.

Victoria Endicott

Absolutely beautifully written! The girls in your life must be very proud of you. Thanks for sharing Mark, I look forward to reading more!

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Very shortly this site will be famous amid all blogging and site-building users, due to it’s pleasant posts.

Leila Galloway

Absolutely beautiful! Are you at all thinking of penning a book? You’ve got a fan base out there that really thinks you should Mark. You write so eloquently. Glad that I got onto this site.

Marilyn Lefkowitz

Mark, You are truly a gifted writer and obviously, a special father and husband . Always a delight to read your words.

I’m speechless…beautiful words flow from your heart just like a gentle waterfall into a tranquil stream… thank you so much for the friend request I was blessed the day I clicked confirm.

Lynne Turner Dorsey

From your first writing in 4th grade entitled “People” which was published in the school newspaper, you have always been able to write. Never more so than when you started “Caringbridge” and now your blog, everyone who reads says what a wonderful writer you are. Our DREAM for you is to become an author and encourage people every day. You are by the far the best and we hope and pray you reach your dream.

Bonnie Brodinsky

I know you always thank us for reading but I would like to say thanks for writing.

Stuart Abell

Great piece. You are an inspiration!

Rob Commodari

Mark I just wanted to let you know that you are succeeding in your “ultimate goal”. I have gained so much from your blogs. I look forward to reading them for the special lift that they give me. Thank you.

Amy F.

I love waking up and starting my day with my coffee and your blog! It a great way to start my day with positive uplifting thoughts!! It puts me in a positive frame of mind throughout the day and allows me to reflect on my personal life, make changes, and grow !!!

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You are quite talented Mark. Thanks for sharing!

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I always look forward to your Blog Mark. Thanks for sharing and as you always do, make it a great / remarkable Day!

Chuck Connolly

Thanks for your Blog Mark. It is fun, encouraging and a nice break from a day full of ups and downs.

Jackie Hetrick

With my busy schedule, there is (sadly) little time for reading. But I have two must-reads every time I come across them, the sports section and your blogs. Keep inspiring and following your dream!

Ed Nemec

Mark, you are a truly remarkable individual. You do speak from your heart, I can’t wait to read your book. You are an incredible writer.

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Mark, I am glad I clicked on your post this morning, which lead me to your writing, your goal.
Would like to connect. This speaks to me.

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WOW!!! It Takes 2 is a must read for anyone who has known someone diagnosed with cancer or other life threatening disease. This is the real story of a family lead by an incredible woman, Debbie Brodinsky, who took radical steps to beat the breast cancer beast. The story is told by her husband, Mark Brodinsky, through journal entries he kept starting with diagnosis through one year cancer free. This author's unique ability to pour his heart out onto the page draws you in from the beginning and holds you until the very end.

Thanks to Mark and Debbie Brodinsky for this gift...I have a new perspective on what it means to be a breast cancer survivor. You are a hero, Debbie Brodinsky!

TeeBThree
September 25, 2013

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This book gives a heartfelt, in depth description of what it is like to go through breast cancer with the one you love. It is beautifully written and I felt as though I was living it with them! I highly recommend this book!

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September 24, 2013

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In It Takes 2, Mark Brodinsky windows us into his world where his wife, the cancer patient, is not the only victim. Part journal, part roadmap, It Takes 2 goes to the real humanity of facing the mortality of one's better half. Mark's candid perspective, love, and fierce intention resonate with hope in a story which is about much more than cancer. Mark himself is perhaps the most heroic character for the way he appreciates this life and so many of us in it...as he says, "thanks for caring."

Réné Pallace
September 24, 2013

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It Takes Two: A Spouse's Story by Mark Brodinsky should be read by every person who is experiencing serious illness or injury or by a loved one of someone who is experiencing either of those situations. The book is an eloquent testament to the power of love and the healing energy derived from the belief that things will get better. There is not one word of "poor me" from the author or his wife who suffered breast cancer and the radical surgery she elected to have to beat the cancer. Rather, the book is a celebration of the courage displayed by them both in seeing it through.

The book also encourages readers to speak and write down their true feelings and be validated in them. John Mackovic writing in the Palm Springs, CA Desert Sun on November 2, 2013 quoted author and artist Doe Zantamata who said, " To be happy, you don't have to do anything new. You just have to remember how to believe again...Believe everything good is possible. Believe in your dreams. Believe in people. Believe in love. But most of all...believe in yourself." The author, his wife, their family and extended family and friends never stopped believing in his wife's recovery, and I think, in themselves. Read this book and believe.

Paul A. Riecks
November 4, 2013

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This book is a must read for anyone with a family member with breast cancer. It takes you through the spouse's perspective from diagnosis to recovery. Mark journaled his wife's journey and put all of his emotions out there. It is beautifully written and inspiring to anyone going through breast cancer. Thank you, Mark for sharing Debbie's story.

Jmu1109
October 23, 2013

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A friend recommended this book. This was a great perspective of a man standing beside his partner and passing along to the reader fear, hope, useful information and a broader story than his own. I loved Vinnie the tattoo artist. This is a great book. Thanks for sharing, Mark and "thanks for caring"

Blahsan

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This book is a must read. What sets this book apart from other books about surviving breast cancer is that it is told by the husband and his point of view, not from the survivor. At times sad, at times poignant but even through the worst of it you can always feel the love he has for his wife, her strength and the strength of their extended family and friends. The posts that are included from their friends and family lets you really into the heart and strength of the family. I would recommend this book to anyone who is currently going through this, whether you are the person or the caregiver. I also recommend this book to anyone who has a friend that has been or is currently going through their fight now. It was an eye opener for me.

L. Bogash
Seven Valleys, PA

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There isn't a shortage of books about breast cancer, but most are written from the perspective of the person who has battled cancer or a physician or other expert. What an enlightening experience to read about breast cancer from a husband and caregiver's perspective! Not only does the author give us insight into his wife's experience and emotions, but he openly shares and reveals his love, compassion, support, and, yes, sometimes anger at the disease as he stands by his wife's side during their journey to beat the beast. Your story may not be the same, but I guarantee if you have a loved one battling cancer, you won't go wrong reading It Takes 2.

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September 25, 2013

 

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From the moment I opened this book I never stopped reading. Mark invites the reader to come along on this journey that his family went through. I cried, laughed and learned so much. This book will give comfort and knowledge to those going through similar situations. Most importantly, Mark and his family never give up. They get knocked down and get right back up. They fought cancer together and with their strength, determination and will to prevail... They do!

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