An inspiration: RIP Joe Garagiola

In another life, I graduated from college, and this baseball player/broadcaster/general good guy came and spoke at our university at commencement.

It was a time when unemployment for new college graduates was high. How high? High enough that employers were picky and paid you a pittance unless your degree was in demand.

I remember things from that day that don't seem important: goofing off, taking a picture with my favorite professor, watching pigeons fly into the arena (unplanned!), hanging out with my husband and my best friend. My dad couldn't make it to the graduation--he attended one of the other graduation events earlier that week--because he nearly died the month before.

To me, graduation was a victory, even though the reward--a full-time job in my specialty--was still more than a year away, after five years of undergrad work.

When Joe spoke, he told stories, of his life, baseball and left us with many words of wisdom. The ones I'll never forget were these:

"Don't take a 'no' from someone who can give you a 'yes'."

As I finally got a job, and made a career, I learned that maxim, and many other things he mentioned, were absolutely correct.

I never saw Joe in person after that day, but many years later, I got to thank him when I called into a radio show. I had been driving down the road, heard it, and called the question line.

He was kind, appreciative, and thanked me for paying attention. The radio host, too, was surprised. However, for a guy like him, it was just taking care of the folks coming up. Because that's what you do. You share the gifts you are given. Joe did that wherever he went.

And you never forget where you came from, where you were just a regular kid down the block.

RIP Joe. Godspeed and say hello to the rest of the folks you and I know for me.

I thought it was a crank call

I got a call recently that I almost blew off.

By mistake, our switchboard operator sent me a call meant for the lady next door. Our patient, Mr. Z. raved and raved about her. She was just the best and gave me her card, but I lost it, he said, so they transferred me to you.

I tried to get out that I was not the person he was looking for, but Mr. Z. said, "That's okay. If you can help me later by telling her, I'm fine."

So I listened.

Mr. Z. had been a patient in the last year and really enjoyed his stay. He was in the building next door. They offered him stuff to take home, but he declined saying, "Oh, I don't really need it. I'd rather help someone else." During the call, Mr. Z said, "I'm dying of cancer. I'm in hospice. I'd just like that lady to send me one of those recreation kits I told her I didn't want when I was there."

I verified his story. It was all true. I was mortified that I thought this guy was a prankster. I promised Mr. Z. I'd take care of what he needed and call her myself. She wasn't there, so I sent a quick e-mail.

She replied. The kits went out in the mail today and she called to let him know. One phone call leads to one e-mail to one package in the mail.

One last request and I could have blown it, but I got a reprieve, and in a crazy chain of events, I helped make a dying man's dream come true.

Wow...