Something Good POSTED in my Comments.

G'day Everyone.

Something good has been posted in my comments today. But I don't know if the link is still active. So let me show you the comments:

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Hi Steve,

I'm writing from StoryCorps, America's largest nonprofit national oral history project. I thought you and your blog readers would be interested in listening to StoryCorps' latest story to broadcast on NPR this morning. Bob Panara, who has been deaf since he was 10, talks to his friend Greg Livadas about his love of baseball and two encounters with a couple of the sport's all-time greats. You can listen to the interview (about 2 minutes) here: http://www.storycorps.org/listen/stories/bob-panara , or read a transcript of the interview below. Mr. Panara's stories was recorded in partnership with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY.

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another's lives through listening. Since 2003, tens of thousands of people from across the country have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to take home and share and is also archived for generations to come at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Millions listen to the award-winning broadcasts on public radio and the Internet. Select stories have also been published in the New York Times bestselling book, Listening Is an Act of Love.

I hope you take the time to listen and share.

Thanks,
Amber Leigh


Robert Panara and Greg Livadas

Robert Panara and Greg Livadas came to StoryCorps in Rochester, NY. Here, Bob tells his friend Greg about his lifelong love of baseball, and his encounters with famous ball players.


Bob Panara:
My name is Robert Panara. I just became 89 years old, but I became deaf from spinal meningitis at the age of 10. My father knew how much I loved baseball. And Babe Ruth was my hero. And this is 1931. So he wrote to the Yankees and he asked if I could possibly meet the Bambino, and they arranged it. So we went to the ball game that day, we sat about ten rows from the field, and before the game, my father gives the letter from the Yankees to the usher, usher goes down to the dugout, comes back with the Babe. Big fellow, huge. He says, "Hi kid! How you doing?" Shaking hands with the Bambino was a dream come true. And later on, I realized my father, he was trying to get my hearing back.

Greg Livadas: So your father thought that the shock of meeting him--

Bob: Oh yes, the Bambino, wow! (laughs) But I still remained as deaf as a post (laughs).

And I remember later on taking my son to Memorial Stadium. After the game, my son says, "Hey Dad, I have a ball. I would like one of the players to sign it." Brooks Robinson, the third baseman came out, and I said "Hey Brooks! Excuse me, but my son wonders if you can give him an autograph." Brooks, he looks at me, and then he signs with his hands, "Are you deaf?" I said, "Hey! You know sign language! Where did you learn?" He said, "Well, I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Only blocks from the School for the Deaf, so I used to play with the deaf kids." He became my idol after that.

Anyway, to this day, I live, breathe and die baseball. I look at it as my religion. The stadium, it's my second home (laughs).

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That is the comment that Amber Leigh left for me. I'm thankful for her because I'm still composing an article that I want to post later.

I hope everyone has had a good week. I'm hearing lots of things happening with the Caption Action 2 stuff. (Jamie's overjoyed right now). I've had a little drama in my personal life of which I nearly posted on here. Thankfully, the drama's settled down and things are fine. So, today's August 1st. Summer has officially passed already (almost!). So, lots to share with you in my next post soon.
Tonight is movie madness night at MIDNIGHT at my local movie house! *whoo*! ought to be fun.

Semper FI!