Tag Archives: stories

Day 114: Clint Robinson, Washington Nationals

Photo: minorleagueball.com

Photo: minorleagueball.com

One of the great stories this Spring Training was that of Clint Robinson. The 30-year-old has spent his professional baseball career playing for a variety of minor league organizations. The Nationals invited him to Spring Training with the hopes of making the 25 man roster and what do you know, he made it! It’s the kind of story that makes you want to support those who have worked so hard for so many years for this moment. Clint earned it and I’m excited to watch him play this year.

Now if I could just get Clint to come out and help my softball team with our hitting. Bryce Harper joined us a few years ago – so it could happen!

Let’s go Nats!

Day 114

Dear Clint,

Congratulations on making the Nationals roster this year. I know that you have worked very hard to get here and I’ve enjoyed watching you play. That triple you hit off of Porcello deep to center in Boston was beautiful.

Day 114-2I’m intrigued about your bat collection. I am a bit of a collector myself – not of bats (although I wouldn’t be opposed to collecting bats) but of items that tell a great story. Speaking of stories, I heard that you have some miracle bat that you are carrying around that hasn’t broke in over two months of use. That sounds like a record probably for you – you hit the ball pretty hard.

Anyway, I’m excited to cheer for you this year. I’m a huge Nats fan and want to welcome you to our city and wish you a great season – and many more to come. Good luck tonight against the Marlins.

Reed Sandridge
(@ReedSandridge)

P.S. I read that your wife Samantha is expecting. Congratulations to you both. Enjoy this special moment in your life.

 

Sunday Notes & Letters


Thank you to those who have been writing to me – I’ve certainly enjoyed receiving your letters. Keep’em coming.

Today, as I do on Sundays, I’m sharing a letter with you that is not mine. It’s a beautiful story that is as much to do about letters as it is about love and being in the right place at the right time.

hpenews.com

hpenews.com

Neil Whitaker of High Point, NC had been searching for nearly 30 years for the descendants of a couple he only knew by name, a couple that had written more than 100 love letters dating back to 1916. Whitaker bought a bundle of old letters that this couple had exchanged at an estate sale in the mid eighties for five dollars.

Then in January a chance encounter changed everything. While working at his job at the Hanes-Lineberry Funeral Home in Jamestown, NC, Whitaker was taking down names of the survivors of a woman who had recently passed away. One woman said her name was Nancy Ellen Hobbs. He routinely asked the name of her husband who replied, “Graham Kerr Hobbs III.”

Graham Kerr Hobbs. That was the man’s name in all of those love letters. Whitaker froze for a moment and then started firing questions at Hobbs to determine whether he might be a descendent of the Graham Kerr Hobbs who had penned all those endearing letters more than 100 years ago. Satisfied that he was indeed a direct descendant, Whitaker said, “Well, Mr. Hobbs, I believe I have something for you.”

Kerr (left) and Whitaker | hpenews.com

Kerr (left) and Whitaker | hpenews.com

The bundle was mostly made up of letters between Kerr’s grandparents along with some old family photographs.  He was completely unaware of their existence and not entirely sure how they ended up in an estate sale of a woman who was unknown to him.

Whitaker turned all the letters over to Kerr and his wife; something he wanted to do from the very moment he read the letters and realized that someone out there needed to know the love that this couple shared. “People don’t care about each other like that anymore. That was true love,” he told Jimmy Tomlin of hpenews.com.

Kerr was delighted to receive the letters, but equally touched by Whitaker’s effort. “That’s the part that amazes me and my family more than anything,” he tells Tomlin, “that Neil had the wherewithal, the patience, the decency and the kindness to return the letters to the family after all these years. And then there’s the karma of just being in the right place at the right time. It’s all pretty amazing.”

For Jimmy Tomlin’s full story, please click here.

Day 30: Rebecca

Photo: tickledred.wordpress.com

Photo: tickledred.wordpress.com

Everyone knows a handful of people who are extraordinarily talented, people who create a sense of energy when you are around them. Rebecca exemplifies this. She is one of the most talented professionals working in media anywhere and I am fortunate enough to know her through my Year of Giving project.

I met up with her this afternoon over a cup of hot tea at Port City Java – a relaxing coffee house steps away from DC’s iconic Eastern Market. Time slipped by, mostly because I was dominating the conversation. In my defense she asks questions and listens for a living!

Check out the extra soft handmade lotka stationery.

Rebecca-2

Rebecca,

It was such a pleasure to spend time with you today. So many exciting events in your life since we’ve seen each other last!

Rebecca-3I’d say we had a wonderful conversation – but I did most of the talking. In hindsight it reminds me of a quote by Jean de La Bruyère, ‘The great gift of conversation lies less in displaying it ourselves than in drawing it out of others.” I could learn a lot from how you listen.

I appreciate your helping to brainstorm on how Street Sense transitions to where it wants to be. Also, your comments on the story of entrepreneurism that develops in the vendors were sagacious and worthy of exploring much further.

You also inspired me to make time for pursuing the food stories we discussed – and you’re right, video is the way to go. It’s a project that is important to me for many reasons and I believe it will resonate with others.

Thank you for sharing your time today with me – it means a lot and I enjoyed it very much.

Stay in touch,
Reed

Rebecca