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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (June 23, 2020)
8B — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2020 COFFEE BREAK Mom fears history will repeat for daughter marrying young DEAR ABBY: I have been divorced for 18 years. The main reason for my divorce was that I married too young and wasn’t ready to be a wife and mother. My daughter has just announced her engagement to a truly wonderful man, but she’s only 19. I want to sup- port her, but I’m afraid she’s making the same mistake I did. I have tried talking to her about it, but she is sure she is making the right decision. I am tight on money now, and I don’t want to pay for an expen- sive wedding if it’s going to be a waste later on if my daughter gets a divorce. But I do want to be by her side and support her during one of the most important times of her life. What should I do? — EXPERIENCED MOM DEAR MOM: Your daughter already knows you’re concerned about her marrying so young and the reasons why. Ultimately, this is DEAR her decision — or mistake — to make. ABBY Explain that you won’t be able to con- tribute fi nancially to her wedding because money is tight right now, but that you are there to support her emotionally now and forever. Tell her, too, that many successful marriages begin at a courthouse, and you wish her better luck than you had. DEAR ABBY: My wife of 38 years passed away a year and a half ago. My ex-wife, to whom I was married for 14 years, and who is the mother of our adult kids, is single again after four failed marriages. She’s making overtures about getting together again. She is assertive, likes to spend and was very jealous. At my age, I could use the help, but it would require selling my house and moving sev- eral states away. She’s really pushing, but I’m just not sure. It would be nice to have someone around because I am lonely. She is a neat lady, but I just don’t know. Help! — PROPOSITIONED IN THE MIDWEST DEAR PROPOSITIONED: Surely you can fi nd someone to fi ll your loneliness other than a woman you divorced for at least two solid reasons. I have four words of advice for you: When in doubt — DON’T! Your common sense is fueling your ambivalence. Please pay attention to it. At most, maintain a long-distance friend- ship with her. DEAR ABBY: During a recent trip to the supermarket, I noticed a couple in their 50s who were shopping for produce. The woman picked up eight different avo- cados before selecting one. (I counted.) The man touched three different bags of oranges before placing one in their cart. This was repeated with each item they shopped for! I considered asking them to stop touching the food, but I didn’t want a confrontation. How would you have handled this? Can you please encourage your readers to minimize what they touch for the sake of public safety? — CONCERNED SHOPPER DEAR CONCERNED: I would have handled it by talking about it to the store manager. In California, signs are posted asking customers to please handle merchandise as little as possible, and shoppers are encouraged not only to wear masks and practice social distancing while shopping for groceries, but also to wear gloves. Once you bring your groceries home, you should wipe them down, and ALWAYS wash your hands thoroughly for the recom- mended 20 seconds. Young baseball players get memento fi lled with stadium dirt By Yuri Kageyama Associated Press TOKYO — Japanese high school baseball players, heartbroken because their annual tournament was can- celed due to the pandemic, are getting a consolation prize: a spoonful of dirt. It’s not just any soil — it’s from Koshien Stadium. Which means it holds spe- cial meaning to all who love the game in this base- ball-mad country. Every year, more than 3,000 teams go through competitive regional play- offs to advance to the fi nals at Koshien in Nishi- nomiya city, central Japan — the prized stage that’s seen the likes of major leaguers Ichiro, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Matsui. And every year, after a team loses, the players, many weeping uncontrol- lably, scrape the dirt near the dugout to take home as a memento. On a recent afternoon, it was the members of the professional club, the Han- shin Tigers, who were dig- ging with their hands to collect dirt from Koshien, their home stadium. The dirt will be put in transparent balls hanging from key chains and sent to some 50,000 high school baseball players. Each ball has the words: “2020 102nd Koshien,” for the 102nd tournament, and pictures of a ball, bats and the stadium. They are to be delivered in August, when the tournament had been scheduled to start. Hibiki Kawamato, a centerfi elder and slugger at Iwamichisuikan High School in Shimane Prefec- ture, western Japan, was thrilled. The Tigers are his favorite team, and he plans to put the key chain proudly on his bag. The game means so much to him. “When I get a hit when the team really needs it, I get praised by everyone,” he said. “I’m going to play baseball till I die.” Akihiko Tanimoto, a social studies teacher 73rd Anniversary SALE Value at Every Price Be safe, practice social distancing. Photo by Kyodo News via AP Akashi Commercial High School baseball players collect dirt of the grounds after losing to Riseisha High School during a semifi nal game at the National High School Baseball Championship at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan, on Aug. 20, 2019. Every year, after a team loses, the players, many weeping uncontrollably, scrape the dirt from foul territory near the dugout to take home as a memento. Japanese high school baseball players who had their heart set on going to the annual tournament won’t be able to go, with the 2020 event canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. who works with the team, said the players were still working out hard, and the cancellation served as a lesson to not quit in the face of hardships. “Koshien was our goal, but it is not the purpose of why we play high school baseball, which is about not giving up until it’s over,” he said in a tele- phone interview. The school has made it to the Koshien summer tournament 10 times. Swivel Rockers $ Five Drawer Chest 299 499 $ • Free Delivery • In-Store Credit • 70 Store Buying Power • Decorating Assistance 1520 ADAMS AVENUE La GRANDE, OREGON 97850 How the custom of bringing home Koshien dirt originated is unclear. But it’s a tradition that dates back decades. The winning team also gathers the dirt, but only after the fi nal award cere- mony, which is witnessed by fans from all over Japan. They fi ll Koshien’s stands and cheer rau- cously, in much the same way American fans follow the NCAA basketball tournament. The dirt is replenished regularly to make sure there is enough. The idea of the key chain originated from Tigers players, who under- stood the disappointment of having the Koshien dream shattered. Many played in the tournament as youngsters. “We all pondered what we could do for them, and I think it holds spe- cial meaning that we did this for them together as a team,” said outfi elder Kosuke Fukudome, who took part in the Koshien tournament while at PL Gakuen high school. “I want them all to stay optimistic,” said Fuku- dome, formerly of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox. Rustic Oak Finished Entertainment Center $ 699 CLOSED June 21st for Father’s day HOURS:Mon. - Fri. 9:30 am-6:30 pm Sat. 9:30 am-5:30 pm Sun. 12 noon-4 pm (541) 963-4144 • 888-449-2704
