MAKING IT COUNT

I'm a pretty happy man.  I mean, look, I work hard in my life and try to raise my kids to have confidence, courage, integrity and character in everything they do. I try to do what my parents taught my brother and I to do, and so, now, as I reach a new milestone in my life, I reflect on all that stuff.  It rushes back.

Every year I do this, because every year around this time, I think about my life.  I joked with my buddy the other day and quoted a line from that really bad movie called Walk Hard with John C Reilly.  As he stood there, ready to perform, he was silent, head down, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.  The producer looks at Dewey Cox and tells him that the crowds ready for him.

Tim Meadows says calmly: "Give him a minute son. Mr. Cox has to think about his entire life before he plays."  And strangely, that's me, once a year, on my birthday.  It's therapeutic and it's an exercise I started to go through about 8 years ago... as my children started to grow up... as I looked at my wife, myself and understood just what my father said when he told me that responsibility was coming... and I had to be ready.

I think about where I was. I think about where I am, and what challenges and goals I will accomplish in the future.  In short, I can't sit still... I won't and BYB is evidence of that. I started this site with not a clue of what I was doing.  I did know that I had a voice and loved to express myself through writing, and yes, I love my New York Yankees.

And so the journey began in September of 2010, with a lot of ideas and a lot of emotion.  It became ferocious and these days, we are much bigger. mainly because after I realized people cared about what my writers and I had to say, it was not only gratifying, it was and is incredible.

I just wanted to let you all know that my journey has been a successful one and part of it has to do with you guys.  Imagine having an idea but not sure how it will be perceived by the public.  But when you do it... it's liked... IT'S REALLY LIKED, not because we talk about the New York Yankees... so many other blogs do that.  No, what we do is different and unique.  We bring you a personal perspective, the fans view, but also personal stories and life lessons and ideas about growth in yourselves.  Self worth. Confidence... believing. And we wrap it all into one. We give it to you straight... we don't B.S. you and through it all... you've stayed with us, wear our BYB shirts proudly at Yankee Stadium.

You send me thoughtful emails of support, sometimes hate, but hey, at least you're out there and you know we have a voice.  And you do it, because you know we're just like you... hardworking individuals with thoughts and dreams.  I could not be happier with what we accomplished here at BYB, and I am so glad you are with us every day.

And it all goes back to what I think about right around this time each year.  I'm did something wild.  I built something.  I mean, throughout my life, I drew pictures and loved to write, and hey, I remember trying to build walkie talkies in my Pop Pops garage when I was 7.  I once took some old lawn mower wheels, bolted them to a piece of plywood and had my brother roll me down the hill.  I hosted my art work in high school art shows for my peers to see. I've been in talent shows, played baseball and ran track and played soccer and you know what? I was damn good at it all.  And I learned that if I put enough resumes out before I graduated college, I'd literally have a shot to start in the work force by the time I graduated.  You know what? I did. I didn't give up.

These days I watch my family grow. My children are getting bigger, and learning alot and doing sports and all of that. And it's busy for my wife and I who barely have time to ourselves, but this is what you do as parents.  You guide and bring the positives to your children in the hope that they can thrive when they get older. 

We've had setbacks. Going to the ER more times than I can count for broken bones and black eyes and stitches... but that's life. We learn from it... and it's been amazing every step of the way.

I'm older today, but I'm happy.  I've never feared getting older for some strange reason.  I see big things in the future.  It's weird, but I do.  I'm a believer.  I know there's more for me to do.  I want to write, I want to paint, I want to sculpt something massive... what movie? European Vacation.

The point is... I look forward to the unknown... with my life with my wife... with BYB... and it's damn cool.

I want to thank you.  I want to thank all of you for helping me understand what we've done here.  As I've stated numerous times... without the readers, we are nothing.  Without my writers, my wonderful friends and family... I would never be able to do what I do here on the pages of BYB.  They are the most incredible people on the planet.  And so are you.

BYB is a family website filled with Yankee news, baseball news and life lessons and it's the only one of it's kind and I'm damn proud to say that.  Not only that... I am happy to report what you already know, because you helped with it... Bleeding Yankee Blue is a great success.  On my birthday, it's the greatest gift to ever have.

Happy Birthday to me... for sure.

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!