Off to Miami
One of the best things about travel is the people that you meet and the relationships that you build. And years ago I went on a trip to Cuba with some dude name Yasiel Puig and many of his friends/family that after a week together you start to learn about each other. Instantly Yasiel and I got along and entertained one another because we both think we are funny. I just didn’t know Yasiel happened to be a famous baseball player from Cuba that everyone else knew of as a very polarizing MLB player that could clear a bench and lick a bat.
I have been fortunate to travel the world with Yasiel. Japan, Cuba, South Korea, Dominican Republic, not to mention when I pass thru Florida stopping to spend time with him and his mother whom I dearly adore. His family and close friends have become part of my tribe and I genuinely love spending time with these people. I can say I have probably been around Yasiel at some of his non-finer moments, and he mine, and I still would claim him and say he is one of my favorite humans to spend time with that is much different than the press has portrayed, not to mention he is a much older, (sometimes wiser) and more mature.
Lisette signed him up for sumo wrestling.
So, that brings me to why I am in Miami! Yasiel is currently playing in the Caribbean Series for the Venezuelan team which he helped to win their first championship in 37 years!! Lisette his agent, and also my dear friend is staying with me at Yasiels. So I have gotten to learn more about her business, as an MLB agent, spend time and run around with her, see the family and go to ball games.
Now I need to add, I am in a cuban household with cuban superstitions that one has to honor and respect. (yes, I have a list of things I see on the daily I question, wonder wth, and the list could go on) I learn so much from all of them not only about coming from a 3rd world communist country where food is provided by the government and unable to be purchased like most countries to being human trafficked out, to how to cook damned good beans in any variety. I was born exactly opposite of Yasiel Puig in every sense of it, and to think of where he came from, how he came to where he is and what he has accomplished…gives me an entirely different perspective on him and many other athletes coming from islands and areas much much less fortunate than the US.
Lisette my superstitious friend has had us refrain from going the past two games to (insert my eye roll around baseball gods and some gibberish in Spanish.) I know I have some crazy shit so I am honoring and watching the past two winning games away from the stadium with Lisette. Tomorrow is the championship of Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that we will send him off and be waiting at the stadium at the end once they have won the championship and will listen to the baseball gods. 🙃
I am going to sign off for now (it’s midnight and Yasiel hasn’t left the ballpark nor made it home yet) so we will wait up for him to celebrate and do it all over again tomorrow.
Until next Friday,
“Topeka”- one of two of my nicknames, this one is used by quite few now and was given to me by Yasiel.
