Grade school academics offered no sort of challenge. With a mother like mine staying ahead of a public schools curriculum took very little effort. From the start of my education high marks and free time for socializing became the daily norm. It was in the summer of 1983 and the first time I'd ever heard of tee-ball league. As a father, I guess , you'd be hard pressed trying to find a man that Daddyed better than mine. Hell, from the first time he'd held me , I've been told , I revered him as my hero and wanted to be exactly like him. it would have been a surprise to anyone that knew him if he hadn't volunteered to coach my tee-ball team. Sitting that opportunity out wasn't ever an option for him. As good of a father as he was, he was also a very strict and thorough baseball coach. Remember there were no participation trophies back then, and believe me when I say dropped and overthrown balls on our team were met with consequences and more practice.. I had no choice but to become one of the best baseball players in the State of Texas. Tee- ball?? Yeah right! My father was the first coach in Texas to implement coach pitch for that age group. I never hit off of a tee. My life , although normal to me seemed to be leading in the direction and had all of the elements to forge success. Id not yet felt loss or failure and had no way of knowing how to come back from it or adapt to hard times . I had no idea that in just a few short years after some risky, impulsive and horrible life altering decisions my life would quickly spiral out of control and send me into some of the hardest, destructive, and darkest times in my life.