Dream On

After the disappointment of the last 18 months, I have really tried to go about my job search in private.

Sure, I have mentioned quite a bit here, but I have intentionally left out a lot of the details so that there wouldn’t be a trail of crumbs in my secret double life.

But when you drop a little bombshell that you are about to interview for a “dream job” in the middle of the 15th paragraph of the 103rd blog, you really get to find out who is reading this thing.

Well Thursday morning, I posted that blog.

By lunch I had heard from a bunch of friends via phone, email and text messaging, sending their best wishes.

Now deep down, I know a lot of friends have started reading the blog, which makes me feel great, but you still don’t know who is reading what and why.

Or when for that matter.

Case in point -- I showed up to my son’s baseball practice on Thursday afternoon and was greeted by the coach who said, “we need to talk.”

My first thought was my son missed a bunt sign or something.

As you long timers may recall, I wrote about the coach in mid-April.

Nearly two months ago.

At that time, out of courtesy (and hope that he would read it), I told him about the blog.

He sent me a very nice note after he read it, but that was the last time we spoke about Sir Bacon.

Until Thursday.

Now, let me give you a little background on the coach.

He is perhaps the most genuine person I have EVER met.   

He treats EVERY kid on the team with respect and courtesy.  If one of the kids makes a mistake, he coaches them instead of yelling at them.

What a concept, huh?

When he said we needed to talk, he wasn’t talking about a bunt sign or a pitch out or a double steal.

He was talking about a hit and run.

“I read Sir Bacon today,” he said.

The first reaction inside my head was, “Wow.  He reads the blog?”

Then I quickly realized, he was referring to my dream job.

He had a big smile on his face when he spoke, but if this dream thing really happens, he’d be losing the switch-hitting catcher he’s been molding for the last four years.

Oh and I’d be leaving too.

For most coaches, if one of the better players on his team was possibly leaving, that would time to hit the panic button.

But as I could’ve expected, the coach didn’t want to talk about my son, at least not yet, he wanted to talk about me and the possible job.

And Sir Bacon.

He said he reads the blog on a regular basis and he really enjoys my writing.

WOW!

Hearing that is like slapping a 1-2 slider to the opposite field with runners on second and third with two out in a 3-2 game in the bottom of the eighth.

I mean, that was very cool.

Well as for that pursuit of the dream, I spoke with the exec on Friday and I think the call went as well as I could’ve expected.

Then again, he didn’t immediately offer me the job on our first call, so maybe my expectations were a little low.

He asked if I would be interested in the opening.

I said YES in a quiet, polished and relaxed voice.

He said good and he would be in touch.

If that doesn’t sound like a sure thing, then I don’t know what does.

Does anybody have the number for U-Haul?   

I am still very excited about the possibility, but at this point, it’s just nice to be back in the discussion.

As a sports fanatic, I seem to live life in sports terms, so why stop now.

This situation is somewhat like the NCAA basketball tournament.

I’d say I’m a high seed.  

I think I just won the first game, but all that gets me is a game against a tougher opponent.

Before I get to the Final Four, I still have a couple of more games to go, but hey I’m still in the tournament.

Let the Madness begin.