Field of Dreams

I grew up in southwestern Minnesota, where there is a baseball field every five miles, give or take. With all the rain and snow the area gets, the fields are always lush and green and perfect.
I played softball from about age 6 or 7 until I was a freshman in high school. After that I stayed a part of the team as the statistician and played on a few summer teams the past couple of years. I can't help it. It's in my blood.
From February to October you could find any member of my family talking about the Minnesota Twins and their chances at repeating success and getting even better. Although, I will admit the early 90s were some rough years for Twins fans. I suffered through and survived only by enjoying the view of Marty Cordova's backside. I remember my mom wearing her "lucky" unicorn earings during the 1991 World Series. Homer hankies in hand, we cheered on the Twins. I named my rabbits after the Twins - Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett and Gary Gaetti.
A few summers back, my parents and I roadtripped to Dyersfield, Iowa. While I wouldn't recommend visiting Iowa, I would recommend vising the Field of Dreams. It's where the movie, starring Kevin Costner, was filmed. It was surreal to be standing on the field and taking a swing while my parents watched.
I found a kindred spirit in my friend Brian. We met sophomore year of college and spent many an afternoon/evening playing catch in the grassy area outside whatever dorm or apartment building we were living in the next couple of years. We played catch this summer and caught the eye of a little girl. She eagerly picked up the ball and threw it, with all her might, and smiled. So did we.
I moved a couple of months ago, and haven't realized the true beauty of my new home until now. It's spring-ish and the grass is green and baseball lovers are out in droves! Better yet, there's a baseball field behind my house! It's my field of dreams. Now I need to find some baseball fans who want to play catch, since my kindred spirit has moved to Virginia. Maybe I'll have to ask some of the kids in the neighborhood if I can join their game.
Check out http://espn.go.com/page2/s/caple/020812.html.