1969

May 24, 1969

I loved everything about Crosley Field, home of the Cincinnati Reds. It was located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, which made it feel like it was in someone's backyard. And it was small, holding only 26,000 fans when it was packed to capacity. We played on a Springboro little league team known as the Indians, sponsored by Custom Farm Equipment, and our coach was Bill Hefflin -- who lived just a street over. And his son Mike was one of my very best friends. Coach Hefflin and his wife took the whole team to see the Reds play the Montreal Expos on a beautiful Saturday night that was perfect for baseball. Pete Rose ran to first base after a walk. John Bench picked off a runner trying to steal second. And Tony Perez and Lee May hit home runs as the Reds cruised to an easy 11-2 victory. Fun, fun, fun. Even though I lost my team hat at the game and had to play the whole season without it.

July 20, 1969

It was 10:56 p.m., way past our bedtime, and we were tired after a day of swimming, but like everyone else in the world we watched the Apollo 11 astronauts walk on the moon.

"That's one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind," said Neil Armstrong.

But not everyone was impressed. My Grandma Buckley, who was there along with Grandpa, thought it was all one big hoax. "It's not real," she said over and over. "You'll never convince me this is happening."

Maybe she was right. But for the first time ever, I went to bed not dreaming of being a professional baseball player. Right then and there, I made my decision. I was going to fly in space one day just like those astronauts.

...

September 2, 1969

Life changed for me in a very big way today because I started fourth grade at the brand new Clearcreek Elementary School, which on the lower side of town. The walk was twice as long as I had had to the Jonathan Wright, where my brothers and sisters went, but I didn't mind because there were so many kids from my neighborhood walking the same as I did. 

With all of us now in school, Mom now had some free time for herself, since John and Jenny were in the second grade, Julie was in the first grade, and Joey had just started kindergarten. I think she used the time to regain her sanity, wondering yet again why she decided to have five kids in five consecutive years.

Dad was a private lawyer and a part-time assistant prosecutor in the Warren County Prosecutor's Office. Our car was an old Falcon station wagon. I don't remember us having a whole lot of money, probably because Mom and Dad decided to buy me the largest set of glasses in the history of mankind.