Talk to the Brand

When it comes to social media and especially Twitter, you might be surprised at who is listening. And sometimes, they are just waiting to make your dreams come true!

(We interrupt this blog for a quick disclaimer...this may be a lengthy one as you need to know the background to get the whole story. However, it will be worth your while as there's a chance to win free stuff later on. And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.)

Back on March 11th, 2010, I started this blog with a post entitled "Be Careful What You Tweet". I had learned early in my Twitter journey just how powerful the medium could be, but little did I know just how much truth there was in that statement and what a fun ride Twitter would continue to take me on over the next 18 months.

Besides connecting with PR professionals (both sports and corporate), sports business types who have helped me gain knowledge and insight into my profession, and celebrities who entertain me, one of my favorite things about Twitter is the ability to connect with brands I use.

When I purchase something from a brand, I like to think that it is the start of a relationship. If they provide me with a good product or experience, I am going to be loyal to them and tell others about what a great relationship I have with that brand. I don't do this as a way to get something from them, but as a way to say thank you. As you know from reading my blog, for me it's all about relationships and social media really helps the relationship between brand and consumer develop and grow if the brand has a good interaction strategy in place.

One of my favorite brands to interact with is Outback Steakhouse. I love to eat at the restaurant whenever I get a chance because I know that the food will be great. Since the closest Outback to my house is 45 minutes away, it's always a special occassion when I get to go. My wife and I have celebrated many birthdays and anniversaries there and associate it with fun times.

This past March while traveling to Florida with the Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team, I tweeted one night about wanting to eat at Outback. Almost immediately, I got a tweet back from the Outback account with a link to the closest locations near me. I couldn't believe it! I wasn't able to get to the restaurant that night, but I did go the next day and then tweeted a picture of my meal and the fun fact that coincidentally it fueled me to my fastest five-mile run to date.

Well, that started a back-and-forth tweet banter with the brand that has continued over the months since. My Twitter followers have chimed in from time to time stating their love for the brand and it's been fun to watch the interaction with them as well. I would like to think that I've pushed some business Outback's way because once you get the thought of a hot, juicy Outback Special or a Bloomin' Onion on your mind your stomach takes charge from there. :)

Then, in June, I received an e-mail from Dan Holm, the person behind the account, asking if I wanted to do some brainstorming with them. I wouldn't be compensated other than maybe getting a gift certificate or something if they liked one of my ideas. Well, I didn't care if they didn't give me anything 'cause I knew that it would be fun to just be part of the conversation. So, I responded seven minutes later with an enthusiastic "Yes!"

The next day, I received a detailed e-mail back from Dan unveiling that Outback would be rolling out the new wood fire grill option and asking for ideas on how to spread the word and get customers excited primarily via social media. I was told that there was no limit to the ideas and to dream big as budget was not a concern, but that I could not share any of these details with anyone.

Well, I ended up being in Florida about that time (Outback corporate is located in Tampa) and I tried to meet up with Dan in person to discuss the e-mail, but due to schedule conflicts we ended up just talking on the phone. I also followed up with an e-mail with thoughts. Here was part of that e-mail: "I wonder as part of your new iniative if you should have some of your most loyal fans try both versions of the cooking options in the same visit. You could do this through coupons/vouchers or you could even work in conjunction with a company like Klout (www.klout.com) to give these away and thus even increase your exposure to the new product line. You could also put survey links on the bottom of your receipts that offer $X off to customers if they come back within a certain timeframe and try one of the new options. The key, though, will be getting some of your most loyal people trying them and sharing their experience with their friends. Word of mouth (or stomach in this case) is always the best kind of advertising and also the cheapest."

Well, little did I know that Outback would give away 1,000,000 free steak vouchers when they unveiled their new wood fire grill option on August 24th! I was blown away! Now, I'm not saying that anything I told them directly impacted their marketing plan, but it was fun to feel like maybe I had some small role in making 1,000,000 people (and their stomachs) a little happier. :) Ironically, though, I didn't even qualify for the free steak giveaway due to living more than 25 miles from an Outback. But, Dan assured me that I would be taken care of and I did end up with a voucher.

I've continued to have fun tweeting back and forth with the Outback account and have even pulled them into conversations with the xBox account and the Southwest Airlines account - two other brands who listen intently to what their followers have to say. It's also been fun to watch some of my friends and followers have the same level of interaction with Outback and come to love the brand as much as I do.

That brings us to last night. My wife and I had the opportunity to attend a screening of The Mighty Macs, a movie about a women's basketball team from a small college beating the odds to play for a national championship, down in Columbus. Since we were going to be in the vicinity of several Outbacks, I decided to find the closest one and make the most of the trip. When I figured out that the closest one was on Bethel Road, I decided to just be funny and tweet Outback about it. What happened next blew me away!

Almost immediately, I started getting tweets and direct messages back from Outback. They jumped on it right away and had the proprieter Chris Pyles ready to go when we arrived. We pulled into the parking lot and were greeted by a worker with an umbrella since it was raining. Our table was set up and ready for us when we walked in and our food also quickly arrived. We had fun talking to Chris, Shanelle (the floor manager), and Katie (our server). (Chris and Shanelle are pictured below in the picture that Katie took.) They all really enjoyed playing their role in the red carpet-like treatment and had enjoyed getting the call from corporate to hook us up. The food was great and I really enjoyed the new wood fire grill option. And, the best part about it was that they picked up the tab! I couldn't believe it! We had caught a small glimpse of what it was like to be a celebrity and all because Outback cared enough about one of its loyal customers to have some fun and make it happen. I'll definitely go back to that location again whenever I get the chance because once again we made memories and had a great night.


So, what am I trying to say besides how cool Outback is and how thankful I am that they chose me to have some fun with? The truth is that the good brands are out there listening to their customers and wanting them to have a good experience with their product. If you have that good experience, why not say thank you? Spread the word because your friends and followers just might want to try them out too. And while you shouldn't go looking or begging for free swag, you just never know what might happen.

Speaking of free swag (see, I didn't forget my promise back at the beginning of this novel), I have two vouchers for free appetizers at Outback that they sent me labeled "for your friends". Well, what better way to give them to my friends than through social media since that's how this all started. So, here's the deal. Post a comment about this blog or about a brand that you love interacting with by Monday, September 12th, and I will randomly pick two people to receive them. Look forward to hearing your thoughts and thanks for reading!

Back to Basics

When I started running a little over a year ago, I was doing it by myself as a way to get some exercise and lose weight. Fast forward a year and running has become a passion for me. However, that can be both a blessing and a curse.

Exactly one year ago this past Saturday, I ran in my first race since eighth grade when I competed in the 2010 Knox Community Hospital 4-mile fundraiser race. Surprisingly (to me at least), I fared pretty well both overall and in my age group and that started what would be a nice run of races over the remainder of 2010 and into 2011 in which I found myself competing very well against the field overall and especially in my age group.

As someone who was at best a marginal high school athlete and an intramural participant in college, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I enjoyed my new-found athletic success as a runner. No, I wasn't going to be chasing down any Kenyan runners anytime soon or hoping to keep up with my Twitter pal Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones, but at 39 years of age and having dropped 30 pounds I was knocking at the door to potentially making a run at qualifying for the 2012 Boston Marathon based on my times in training runs and half marathon races.

So, I signed up for the Erie (Pa.) Marathon to take place on September 18 and began to really push myself. The miles piled up and thanks to some vigorous speedwork days the pace kept getting faster. I kept going and going and going. At one point, I ran 77 days in a row and began to feel almost invincible.

Then, it hit me...the injury bug. What has turned out to be a case of really bad shin splints hurt so bad that it has sidelined me for pretty much the entire month of August after only missing 19 days all year in the first seven months. It was so bad that I finally went to a doctor - Dr. Darrin Bright, the medical director of several of the races that I run and an expert in running injuries - and also had an MRI done.

First, I don't say any of this to have you feel sorry for me. Sure, it's been a bummer not to be able to run, especially with some cooler mornings after the heat we had in June and July. Sure, I miss seeing my running buddies each morning and chatting with them on the run. Sure, I would like the dull pain in my right leg to disappear.

What this injury and time off from running has done for me, though, has been to help me to re-evaluate my focus. I took for granted the ability to run pain-free and the ability to run at a fairly good pace. Over the past two months especially, I had focused so hard on qualifying for Boston that a lot of time I forgot to enjoy myself along the way. After all, running isn't a job...it's a sport!

Because I was waiting for the results of the MRI and the ensuing diagnosis, I decided that it would not be smart to run in this year's KCH 4-mile event this past weekend. The race director was gracious enough to transfer my entry to my 6-year-old daughter, Kylie, and she excitedly waited for race day to come along with her 10-year-old sister, Ashley, as they both prepared to run their longest race yet. The plan was for me to walk the course and keep Kylie within my site.

Race morning came and after I helped set up the course I found out that they had given me a bib and entry into the race so I could walk the whole thing with Kylie without being a race bandit. I don't think any of my running buddies thought I would actually go through with just walking the whole thing - especially after hearing numerous times from people at the beginning of the race "Hey, looks like I'm gonna beat Dave Parsons in this race" as people ran past me.


But, I stuck to my plan and I did walk the whole thing. Meanwhile, Kylie was doing great! She ran a lot at the start of the race and before we knew it we had passed the first mile, then the second mile, and then the turnaround on the pretty much out-and-back course.

As we were started back over the second half, we had a mishap. Kylie stumbled alongside the road and scraped her knee and hand up as she fell. I was afraid at that point that I was going to have to carry her the rest of the way back. However, when I asked her if she needed me to carry her to the finish, she dried the two crocodile tears that had formed on her cheeks and told me "that would be cheating, Dad!" Before I knew it, she was back on her feet and ready to complete the race.


We passed the third mile and then the 5K mark which equalled the most she had ever done in three previous races. As we neared the finish line, she set her sights on trying to catch a couple people we knew who had walked the race. She summoned whatever energy she had left and sprinted to the finish and closed the tenth of a mile gap and then crossed the finish line just ahead of them while all the spectators cheered for her. I had both goosebumps and tears watching her finish strong and the smile on her exhausted face afterwards showed that it was all worth it. At that moment, I was glad that I hadn't been able to run so that I was able to witness her entire race first-hand. It's a memory that I will always cherish. I was also really proud of Ashley, who finished in just under 40 minutes to beat over half the field.


On Monday, I went back to see Dr. Bright to find out the results of my MRI. He gave me the good news that I did not have a stress fracture - just really bad shin splints. He gave me a rehab plan and told me that I could run as much as I could tolerate and should start slowly as I get back to running. So, today, I showed up for my first run in over a week and took it easy just to get a run in. My leg was nowhere near 100 percent, but it was better than the last time I had run. I'll keep taking it easy and just do as much as my body tells me it can do.

While I am looking forward to getting back to pain-free running and training for my upcoming races, I am thankful for the reminder not to take any of this for granted. I am also extremely thankful for the prayers, words of encouragement, well wishes, and messages from my friends and family. The running community is such a wonderfully supportive group!

Keeping Things Interesting

As we stroll through the sauna that has been Central Ohio weather this summer, it is easy to start dreading the longer training runs associated with upcoming fall half or full marathons.

I’m blessed with a good local group in Mount Vernon (The Running Buddies) who keep me accountable and stay after me to run. However, even with the group, it’s still hard to find ways to make the training runs not turn into something that is mundane. And, I can only imagine how bad it can get for those of you who are doing all of this on your own without the benefit of the social aspect of a group or running partner to help you pass the time.

Obviously, listening to music or even audio book files is one way to take your mind off the task at hand during a run, especially a long run. But even then, it is hard to get geared up to get out the door. You can listen to music in the comfort of the A/C in your house.

One thing that we have tried to do with our running group is to create themed runs at least once a month based on either a holiday that month or something different that is going on. We’ve had a whole list of them so far, and we create virtual shirts for them that every finisher gets tagged with on Facebook (see photo). It’s been fun coming up with wacky sayings and silly designs, but more importantly it has keep people’s interest. We also use those opportunities to invite other people who don’t regularly run with us, and it has been fun to see their interest level in running grow after participating one time (whether walking or running) in a 5K.

One other thing that I have tried to do is to meet up with runners from other nearby cities as my schedule allows just to run a different route (see top photo as a recent example). The Daily Mile website (www.dailymile.com) has been a big help with this as it will help you find runners who live near you, who are signed up for similar races, or who run the same pace as you. The running family is a great one.

So, as we push ourselves through the dog days of summer with the routines of the fall looming all too soon, what do you do to keep your training interesting and fresh? Happy running! Hope to see a lot of you at the start and finish line in Columbus in 84 days! Now, it's off to get ready for our Christmas in July 5K that fittingly starts at 7:25 p.m. on 7/25/2011. Maybe I'll even try to run it in 20:11. :)

Be Like Mike

Well, today is my dad's 40th Father's Day and I thought it only fitting to take this opportunity to let him know just how much I love and appreciate him.

My dad, Mike (picture running this year's Memorial Day 5K with me), is one of those people who never met a stranger. Teaching for 30 years in the Zanesville City School system and also officiating basketball, volleyball, and softball helped him connect with a lot of people in our hometown over the years. He's still at it in Mount Vernon now as well as around the world on all the trips that he and my mom take. This is just one of many traits of his that I have picked up as I enjoy connecting with as many people as possible...thus the title of my blog - Six Degrees of MVNUSID.

My dad is one of those guys who was born before his time. If he would have grown up during the YouTube generation of today, he would surely have gone viral many times with all of his many sports tricks and other hijinks. While he wasn't a star athlete on a team, he was never one to back down from a challenge or turn a routine sport into some kind of crazy fun. He's been known to make all kinds of trick shots with a basketball in the gym, play catch with his brothers while standing on posts in their yard, throw a football behind his back almost as far as he throws it normally, or hop on a pogo stick to see if he could make it around a city block. As a softball pitcher, he once struck a batter out by intentionally pitching behind the hitter's head and hitting the bat on his shoulder to register a third strike. I've picked up on these traits as I always try to find a way to keep the things that I'm involved in interesting and avoid the mundane.

Through all this physical exercise, my dad has been a great example of staying active and in good shape. At 64, he has already ridden over 1,100 miles on his bicycle this year and plans to ride across the state of Indiana in a day this July with some friends. Even today on Father's Day, he spent it climbing 12 miles from Manitou Springs to the top of Pike's Peak. I guess you could say that he has been the inspiration that led me to reach the 1,000-mile mark for running this year fittingly on Father's Day as I try to reach my goal for the year of 2,011 miles in 2011.

My dad has always been a great dad who would do anything for his kids. While we were never rich as a family of six living on a teacher's salary, he made sure that we always took family vacations in the summer. We were creative about the things that we did to have fun and he instilled in us that relationships are way more valuable than money and things. I've tried to live my life that way as well and I thank him for teaching me that early on.

My dad has also been a great example to me of how to be a husband. He loves my mom more than anything and they are best friends. It is so refreshing to see this when it's unfortunately not the norm any more in the world that we live in. I hope my kids can say this about me for the way that I treat Carla.

Most importantly, my dad has always shown me what living a Godly, ethical life of character looks like and the rest of these traits all stem from that. He has always put the needs of others before himself and has been a tremendous example in this way for me to try and emulate.

Back in the early '90s, Gatorade had a commercial where NBA superstar Michael Jordan promoted their product. Here's the clip courtesy of YouTube:


While I grew up like most kids dreaming of being a star athlete, I can now say with great certainty that I really do want to be like Mike...Mike Parsons. Thanks, Dad! I love you!!! Happy Father's Day!

On Your Mark...

First, let me start this post with a disclaimer....I am NOT a running expert. I am still a newbie when it comes to the amount of time I've spent, the miles I've run, and the races I've entered.

OK, with that in mind, for whatever reason I've been getting approached by a lot of people recently with questions on how to get started running. Maybe it's because my last post recapped my first year of running. Maybe it's because people know that I'm a guy with a pretty busy daily schedule who has somehow made it work for at least a year. Maybe it's because people think to themselves that "if Dave Parsons can run then so can I".

Actually, I'm fine with all three. :) And, with National Running Day being celebrated today (June 1), there is no better time than right now to begin that journey and take up running.

One of the first things that you need to do as you think about running is to have realistic expectations. If you haven't been doing much in the way of physical activitiy, running just one mile is probably going to be pretty tough for you. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't do it. It just means that you don't need to beat yourself up if you have to walk part or most of the way when you get started.

Along those regards, it would be helpful to follow a training program. There are many free ones available online. I've used different variations of Hal Higdon's programs and they seem to work quite well for me. My wife, Carla, has also followed his half marathon program and done three races of that distance successfully. For people just starting out, I would suggest either the 5K Walker's Program or the 5K Novice Program.

With realistic goals set and a training program in place, it is also important to get the right kind of shoes. This will be different for everyone. If there is a running store in your area, they can help you find exactly the right shoes for your feet. Wearing the right footwear for your stride will go a long way in lessoning the risk of injuries as you start this journey. Also, get good socks to help prevent blistering.

Now, you are ready to head either to the treadmill, a local trail, or just around the neighborhood. I would strongly encourage you to track your miles either on a spreadsheet, a journal, or one of many online sites or phone apps. While you don't want to be caught up worrying about time and distance at the start, it will provide a source of encouragement to you as you see the miles add up and the times get faster. You can also get great encouragement and a sense of accountability by posting your runs on sites such as Daily Mile, Facebook, or Twitter to name a few.

The best way to make running stick is to work it into your daily routine until it just becomes second nature and a part of your lifestyle. For me, that means getting up an hour earlier each day and running at 6 a.m. That has worked best in our schedule. Yes, it means that I have to get to bed a little earlier than I used to, but that isn't such a bad thing either.

One other thing that could really help you in this journey if you can pull it off is to find someone to run with. Even if it's not every day or even if you have to do this virtually through social media, it makes a big difference. When I started running, I did it alone. Sure, there were other people at the trail where I ran, but I ran alone. However, I had a friend, Jay, who was just starting to run, too, and we encouraged each other via social media. It didn't matter that he lives in Kentucky and that I'm in Ohio. We stayed after each other and helped each other get to the point that running had become a habit. We've since been able to run together on several occasions including in the first half marathon for both of us last October in Columbus.

And, that brings me to my final suggestion for new runners...pick out a local 5K race and pay to enter it. That's right, don't wait until you are experienced...do it now. Paying the fee will keep you accountable to your training. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to complete the basic training program. Remember, you can always walk it if you have to and a lot of the local 5K races are for charitable causes so you'll be doing something for others regardless. Trust me, though, you'll enjoy the race day experience and you'll be hooked once you do one. :)


To my friends who are more experienced at running than me, please add your suggestions to this post. To my friends who are left still looking for answers after this post, ask away and I'll do my best or find an expert who will answer your question. And, to anyone who reads this post and then starts on the running journey, please let me know because I want to support and encourage you just like so many have done for me. The running community is truly great at that!

With all that said, I leave you with the lyrics to, of all things, a song from the 1970 Christmas special "Santa Claus is Coming to Town":

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

You never will get where you’re going
If you never get up on your feet
Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowing
A fast walking man is hard to beat

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If you want to change your direction
If your time of life is at hand
Well don’t be the rule be the exception
A good way to start is to stand

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If I want to change the reflection
I see in the mirror each morn
You mean that it's just my election
To vote for a chance to be reborn

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

...get set...GO!!!

Running....Oh, the Places You'll Go

Wow, what a journey the last 365 days has been! There have been ups and there have been downs. But my life has not been the same since I headed out for my first two-mile run on May 26, 2010.

Here are some facts and figures from my first year as a runner:

First Mile - 8:59 on May 26, 2010

Fastest Mile - 6:02 on February 17, 2011

Fastest 5K - 20:06 on May 19, 2011

Fastest 1/2 Marathon - 1:34:26 on May 7, 2011 (Cap City)

Total Races Run - 8 (KCH Fundraiser 4-Miler, Emerald City 1/4 Marathon, Columbus 1/2 Marathon, MVNU Homecoming 5K, 1st on the 1st 5K, Run Cbus 10-Miler, Kenyon Earth Day Challenge 1/2 Marathon, Cap City 1/2 Marathon. Plus numerous other unofficial ones that we staged with our running group.)

Total Miles Run - 1,355

Total States Run In - 6 (Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, California)

Total Days Run - 257

Average Distance Per Day Run - 5.27 miles

Total Pounds Lost - 30

Pairs of Running Shoes - 3 (Asics Gel Kanbarra 5)

First of all, I need to say a big thank you to my wife, Carla, and my daughters, Ashley and Kylie, for supporting me in this new endeavor. Carla had been running for two years before I took this up and she was really the inspiration behind getting me started on this journey. Ashley and Kylie have also had fun with the running and have even participated in two 5Ks in the past year. I'm looking forward to running with them more as time goes on. It takes the support of the whole family for running to become a true part of your lifestyle and I'm thankful for mine.

This year of running has seen me go from being very much a fair-weather, only-run-when-the-conditions-are-ideal runner to a runner who thoroughly enjoyed a -10 degree 10K run in January as part of running 205 miles all outside for the month despite colder than normal temperatures.

I have really enjoyed renewing old friendships and all the new friends that I have made as a result of running. When I started out, I was running solo. However, as the year has gone on, I am now part of a group (the Mount Vernon Running Buddies who are pictured below) that gets together pretty much every morning to run at least a 5K. I've also seen how supportive the running community as a whole is with each other through tracking my running on Daily Mile.

While I'm not an expert by any means, my plan over the next week is to write a few posts about what I've learned about running throughout the past year. I have appreciated all the feedback and tips that I have gotten from other runners and if I can help just one person by posting my experiences then it's worth taking the time to write about them.

As I close this look back over the past year on the run, I can't help but think about these words penned by the incomparable Dr. Seuss:

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Taking Things to the Next Level

Last year, I had the opportunity to be a part of history during the Major League Baseball season as on a couple of occasions I was able to land a seat in the Cleveland Indians' Social Deck. This was an area set aside for fans, bloggers, and other personalities to use social media platforms during games to spread the word about the Indians, the game, and whatever else they wanted to talk about. The Indians were the first pro sports team to have a special area set aside on a game-by-game basis for their social media community.

Fast forward one year. Much like the team on the field that sports the best record in the majors, the Indians' communications and creative services staff has upped the ante again by moving their social media community from the Social Deck in the leftfield bleachers to the Social Suite along the third base line above the Indians' dugout.

On Sunday afternoon versus the Cincinnati Reds, I had the privilege of checking out the Social Suite for the first time with my family and my friend, George Hartz, and his family. We picked up our tickets at will call courtesy of @tribetalk and quickly found our seats. As we were walking to the Social Suite, one of my daughters commented that it was like we were entering a fancy hotel. Little did we know just how right she was as we prepared to enter the Social Suite.

While the Social Deck was nice last year, there was the disadvantage of being stuck outside if the weather was inclement or extremely hot with no shade. Well, the Social Suite has nice shade and protection with the overhang, and the option to sit inside in the air conditioning was something that the kids enjoyed as well. The Social Suite is also much more conducive to in-game blogging if attendees so desire.

Well, the game moved along and the Indians dominated the Reds 12-4. In the bottom of the fifth inning, my opportunity to play in the game came when Jack Hannahan fouled a ball up to the Social Suite which I promptly snagged in mid-air (photo above). It's the third foul ball I've grabbed over the years, but the first outside the state of Colorado as the other two came at a Colorado Rockies game and a Colorado SkySox (Triple-A) game. (The ball at the SkySox game was off the bat of Alex Rodriguez.)

We enjoyed the rest of the game and the kids had a great time. It was the first MLB game for George's two boys and it was fun to watch them take it all in. The only downside is that it will be a little bit of a letdown when they go to their next game and don't have such great seats. :) Following the game, the kids all got to run the bases to cap off what was a great day (photo below).

I need to say a big thank you to Curtis Danburg, Rob Campbell, and Danielle Cherry for the great job that they are doing and for making our fun day possible. For more information on how you might score a seat in the Social Suite, check out this link and follow @tribetalk on Twitter.