Christmas 2013

Tis the season...

This Christmas, I didn't do a whole lot compared to last year.

Last year, I went to Libra Brazilian Steakhouse in Culver City for my mother's birthday on Christmas Eve and just drove around Downtown Los Angeles and went to Hollywood on Christmas day.

This year, I was the only one to wait until Christmas day to actually open up the present I got from my sister's and my mom. Then I woke up and went on a 8 mile run. Saw a co-worker from Fox during the stretch. Went home. Cooked dinner for my mother's birthday and that was about it.

Well, I guess the year past wasn't so 'Ahh' at all either.

Anyways, Christmas isn't just about how many gifts you get,what you get or what you do that day. It's all about spending time with the ones that mean the most.

So cherish those moments. Live a little. Laugh a lot. And love like there's no tomorrow.

My mother and I on Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Jun

Growing up sucks

First off, I want to say congratulations to my roommate Salvador "Boiii" Ramos for finishing up college...

Today, I went to the Boiling Crab with some of my teammates from Mount Mercy because Boiii came back home from Cedar Rapids and our second baseman that played with me the last two years, Scott, was in town from Northern California.

I'll tell you what, listening and telling stories from college is one of the best things in the world. Making and sharing those memories we will never have back during that moment.

On the drive back, Boiii and I were talking about how it feels weird to be back home and not go back to college.

I told him that it does suck at times because when I come home from work, since I sleep in the living room, my mom would be awake when I come home from work around midnight watching tv when I want to, or everyone would be asleep and have to be extremely quiet.

When I came back from road trips from baseball games, someone would always be up and we would watch TV, go get something to eat, heck, maybe even go grab drinks.

Then Boiii told me something that our teammate from East LA told him...

"I can't just wake up and go next door to just to see my friends the next day. I have to wake up, get dressed and go to work; I can't just wake up and go next door the next morning and talk about what we did the night before and what we are going to do that night."

When he told me that, it really hit me that growing up really does suck. You go through a plain routine and have more responsibilities to worry about instead of being able to go out at every weekend and wait for the next weekend to come again to do it all over with hanging out with friends or roommates in-between. 

Sure, we all have to grow up at a certain point in our lives but it sucks to realize that you have to become a grown up so earlier in this world today to get by.

So, for all my readers in college right now, go out often, have fun and live it up. You're in college only once in your lifetime. Stop worrying about school too much and go make memories (trust me, been there done that).

Here's a quote my buddy from high school gave me when we started college...

“I’ve learned one thing, and that’s to quit worrying about stupid things. You have four years to be irresponsible here. Relax. Work is for people with jobs. You'll never remember class time, but you'll remember time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So, stay out late. Go out on a Tuesday with your friends when you have a paper due Wednesday. Spend money you don't have. Drink 'til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does…"
-TOM PETTY

If I could go back and do college all over again, I would definitely do it, without the school work of course.

Jun

The day of giving and forgiving

There's a lot to be thankful for, I don't know where to start...

I just finished watching the 4th season of East Bound and Down, and man that show is hilarious.

But the show is somewhat weird that Kenny Powers causes all kinds of mischief and the ending of each episode consist of him learning a lesson but carelessly causes trouble all over again...

Anyways I brought it East Bound and Down up because in the 7th episode (although it was a Christmas based theme), the message at the end made me realized that it really came into play in the world we live in.

The episode consists of people hating Kenny Powers (like every episode) and coming to a realization that its about the little thing that matter, and people somewhat forgiving him.

Sure, money is a big part of daily lives, but its not about how much money you have or how many things or how expensive the gift you buy is. It's about always being there for someone, some people, friends, co-workers, teammates, girlfriends and boyfriends, a stranger needing a little help of an umbrella when it's raining, but most of all your family.

I am guilty of not always being around my family since I been back. Most of the time, I am out trying not to be a couch potato, but at the same time, I feel as if I don't spend much quality time with my mom and my sisters.

Yes, we don't always agree on things and we would go back and forth on weather who has to take the dogs for a walk or who get to watch TV in the living room

But they are always there for me, way back from coming to my my little league games, to band and orchestra concerts, to flying all the way out to Iowa to come watch me play.

I cannot give enough thanks to them for supporting me all these years. They are my biggest fans and  I am theirs, whether they like it or not.

So this Thanksgiving, remember all the good times and forgive the bad. We all made mistakes at one point in time. Life is too short to be holding grudges and regrets.

With that being said, I am thankful for all my teammates I have met through all my playing days, all my coaches who gave me an opportunity, the person who helped me get a job at Fox Sports 1, all the co-workers at Fox Sports 1 who make the job a lot easier than it is, the person who gave me a roof when I didn't have anywhere to stay or sleep in Iowa, the Iowa family, to my roommate Rudy Yos for looking over me and everyone else, all my friends and new ones, and last but not least, my family for everything they have done for me this year.

I hope everybody has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Jun

Sacrifices

Just moments ago, I had a talk with my mom about my life moving forward.

Like always, whenever I bring up this conversation, she would start to give me attitude and wouldn't let me finish how I feel about it.

It usually just ends with her just pouting, but today, we made some progress.

One thing I brought up to her, which surprisingly she didn't panic, was possibly moving out of California. She gave me the "uhhhh, really?" look.

Then we talked about one of my best friends since middle school. She talked about how she saw that he grew up as years went on.

Back in the day when we would play catch every other day, play pranks and ride our bikes everywhere, he was always the trouble maker and getting into mischiefs. I, on the other hand, didn't get into any trouble (I think I didn't at least) because I was deathly afraid of my mom's rage when I did get in trouble.

As my mom was talking to me about my best friend and I growing up, my mind started to race with emotions.

I started to realize to myself that I was (and probably still am) selfish at times.

I recall this specific time where I asked him to get me something, which he did.
But when I think about the situation he was in now, I feel absolutely disgusted with myself. And the thing was, he never complained about it.

I hope he would forgive me for it.

After my mom and I ended our talk, I thought about what he has been through, what he's doing now and what he's going to do in the future.

As funny as it sounds, I am pretty jealous of him. But again, he sacrificed things he didn't want to and worked hard to get to where he is today, and I am very proud of him.

I thought about what my mom said to me tonight and looked at myself in the mirror (literally) and told myself that I need to make a change.

I took a huge sacrifice to go play baseball in Iowa. But you have to make bigger sacrifices in the real world, and I feel as I need to take a chance and sacrifice some things to make things happen for the better.

As most of my coaches said, "When there's a runner on first with no outs, YOU sacrifice YOURSELF with a bunt in order for big things to happen."

Time to make big things happens.

-Jun

Chasing the dream or face reality

We all dream of being something larger than life: a professional athlete, singer, musician. A hobby that you will hopefully make it a occupation on a stage in front of thousands.

For some of us already, we worked for countless amount of years, months, days, and minutes to perfect the art of the performance.

Since I was a little kid, my dream was to, one day, become a professional baseball player.

It started unconsciously when my mother first started to take me to a baseball clinic once a week on a Sunday, where I would spend 6 hours on a baseball field practicing with other kids. This would continue for every year from the age of 5 to when I was 12; 6 years my mother and father would take turns me to this clinic and devoted there time for me to do this.

Honestly, I didn't this thing so-called baseball at first. I was dragged into it. I might have played catch a hand full of times with my father before this. But it wasn't after I joined my first little league team that I really started to fall in love with the game.

Smiling for the camera at the baseball clinic in Palos Verdes, Cali.

As I grew up playing baseball, stats and ratios were implied in the game as the years went.

During the freshmen year of high school, I remember when a coach told the whole team...

"Only about 1 in every 5 go onto play college ball after high school. 1 in every 50 get drafted from high school and college. And 1 in every 200 make it to the Show."

The ratio might be off but, he told us something like that.

In the four years of my high school, I would say I spent more time on the baseball field or doing something with baseball than I did in my living room. Unlike most people, I had nothing else but this game (I was in band, but didn't really take it seriously. Probably wouldn't have been so mediocre if i did).

After high school and in retrospect, I was probably an average or maybe even below average player if I compared myself to my teammates. But I know I always gave it my best, 110% as my buddy would put it. However, hard work didn't give me an opportunity to play anywhere out of high school.

Then, from making phone calls and to talking to people I have met throughout the years, I was fortunate to be able to play in college for 5 years.

A lot of sacrifices were made but, those five years, I say were the best days of my life.

After I got done playing, and again, I wasn't the best on the team, but I still had an itch to play and still do. I still work out like I would be ready to play in a game the next day and be better than everyone else out there. But I know, in fact, that in reality there are others better than me.

But that part of me that wants to play is still saying, "Take a chance. Try asking around and go for it if it comes to you. It doesn't hurt to try. You're still young. Go for it."

That means I would have to sacrifice the part time job I have right now, which my mother wasn't really happy about if I did have an opportunity to play (on the other hand, my father is up for it).

Then after a couple of days of thinking it through if I do want to really try to look for somewhere to play or not, my strength and conditioning coach posted an article on Facebook, which caught my attention ( http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sportingscene/2013/10/why-i-quit-major-league-baseball.html?mobify=0 ).

After reading this article, it made me think a little more.

This guy was a first round pick in 2006, spent 6 years in the minor leagues until he got brought up the big stage and quit after 45 games. Who would do that?!

He does have his reason behind why he ended his career as a professional athlete, but some people would give up their right nut to play in the Show.

But as I mentioned, this made me think a little more. Playing baseball (varies in other sports) only gets you so far in life, a person that gets brought up at the age of 20 or 21, might have a 20 year career, but after that, essentially, their career is over They can work within the sports world  (They probably a lot of connections with A LOT of places anyways) but their playing career was short lived.

Making a life long decision are difficult at times. I bet Adrian Cardenas was going through a roller coaster of emotions making this decision, even though it seemed like it was a simple decision he decided to make.

For me, if I did get a chance to play, I don't know what I would want to do: Find a job or play.

Big stage or not, making decisions aren't going to be easy. But taking a chance at sometime might make it worth it.

Do what you love and not what other people want you to do; don't let others write your story for you...

Jun

Airplanes and Terminals

Here I am back at home, back to reality, and trying to figure out whats in store for me next...

On my way to Cedar Rapids for the Alumni week, I sat next to a lady and she was a bit odd. She was taking things out of her bag and and sorting them in a few ways inbetween the seat that was empty us. 

One of the books she pulled out read "Book for Perfectionists." Immediately I thought she had OCD, she was going make everything all neat around me from the seat belts to how the books are stacked, etc. 

I didn't talk to her the whole flight and she talked to me as we were about to land.

Her name was Varci and she from the Orange County. 

She works at a hospital in the Public Relations department, if I remember correctly.

She told me that when she was in college, she was a nursing major, but it wasn't for her. So she decided to become a creative writing major instead.

And now, she was going Chicago to go interview 30 doctors in 3 days to find a doctor that qualifies for the hospital she works at. 

I told her a little bit about myself and I told her I was a journalism major and told her I don't really write anymore but I work part-time at Fox Sports cutting highlights. She asked me if I want to start writing or not, and I told her I don't really know what I want to do in life yet.

She said if I ever want to get back into writing, I could contact her.

We exchanged emails and phone numbers and that was the end of that...

On my connect flight to Denver last night, I sat next to this lady, I would say in her late 20's- early 30's (I'm probably the worst guesser when it comes to age) and I introduced myself. 

Her name was Cole and she was from Spokane, Washington (If it wasn't for Fox Sports 1 and didn't meet new people, I would have never known where Spokane, Washington. Thank you Fox Sports!).

I usually never talk to strangers because I feel like I get this weird vibe from the other person, but I got an advice from someone I know earlier in the week to not be shy. So I put it to the test.

Cole was visiting her parents in Cedar Rapids for the week. She couldn't wait to go back home to Spokane because she was getting sick, but she was kind enough to keep each other company for a bit on the plane ride. 

She told me works at a veterinarian hospital and has been since she was younger. She didn't attend college because it wasn't for her.

We talked for a bit longer before we took a nap upon our arrival to Denver.

When we got off the plane, I told her it was really nice meeting her and shook my hand as she was carrying a violin in the other hand...

The moral of this blog is to let you know, don't be shy; in this situation, a plane ride. You're going to be sitting next to someone for and hour or more so why not get to know them and make new friends. Who knows, they might be able to help you out in the future.

-Jun

Alumni 2013

I had a little layover at the Eastern Iowa Airport, so I thought I would write in here to pass some time...

I felt like I just said my byes to my friends in Iowa but I felt like I never left.

I decided to swing by Iowa again for the Alumni weekend that was held this past weekend. I felt kind of bad, but I didn't tell anyone but Salvador (aka Boii, aka Tio), one of my roommates from last year that I was coming back to Mount Mercy. I thought I would surprise people by just showing up, because where's the fun when you know when someone's coming into town. right? Well, it kind of depends I guess.

But overall, my five and a half days here in Cedar Rapids was a great time. There's no other place I would rather be than hanging out with old friends, making new friends

Paul (aka BeastLos) and I during the alumni weekend

and having a good time, especially when you make someone's week and they shift their plans around to hang out with you.

As much as Mount Mercy isn't the typical college/university I wanted to go to, and it being in Iowa, I feel really blessed with all the friends I have back in the city of Cedar Rapids, let alone this small state of Iowa itself.

I give the biggest thanks to all of you guys that I spend time with, and if I didn't get to see you, I'll definitely see you in the near future.

I want to give a special thanks to Salvador (aka Boii, aka Tio) for the hospitality during this trip.

Until next time Cedar Rapids...

-Jun