Well, it's been nearly a year since I've written anything for Behind the Plate.
To me, the game of baseball is the epitome of the Fourth of July holiday, however it's going to be at least one more day before a baseball post.
In the 341 days since that last blog post, my life has taken on a dramatic change and my focus shifted away from my writing and to the consequences from my actions July 30, 2016 in which I, as an intoxicated driver, caused a three-car accident. An accident that involved my 11-month old daughter. An accident that has resulted in me not having a relationship with my children since that day. It's something I live with everyday and every day work closer towards the goal of having them back in my life.
That day was a culmination of a 13-plus year battle with an illusion that I did not have a problem. There were signs. Plenty of them over that 13 year period in fact with each one more glaring the last. I couldn't find the right job. Or the right girl. Or enough money. If anyone had my life they'd drink too.
Those were the things that I told myself to justify what became around-the-clock drinking by the end of it. I was always looking for change and I was pretty dang good at finding it.
But the one constant in all of that was my passion for sports and writing and the ability to put them together. And then I lost that too. The one thing that I knew for sure in my life that I absolutely loved I was told I couldn't do because I had became so undependable as a part-time employee.
I don't know what the future holds for my writing, this blog or anything for that matter and I'm OK with that. I do know that I have missed writing about sports -- baseball most notably -- and that I am excited to restart this endeavor.
I want to thank the countless amounts of people that have stood beside me this past year and the support that I have received in so many ways. I am grateful for a few good friends that have pushed me to get back into writing.
Tomorrow marks five years to the day that I started this blog. The vision I had for this site to be the premier spot for all things Montana baseball related hasn't changed but the person behind that vision has and I'm looking forward to some positive changes in the near future.
