I know, as a diehard, lifelong Yankees fan, whose first home in Da Bronx – Gerard Avenue – was just a few blocks away from the old stadium, those words should never leave my lips or fingertips.
But now that the Yanks have safely moved on to the Big Show,
I can be more magnanimous and now will demonstrate there is a method to my madness.
You see, an old friend of mine, Pete Flanagan, loved the Mets. Indeed, in one of his last communications with me, at a time he knew he wasn’t long for this energy plain, he lovingly made reference to his baseball team.
Pete passed just a few days after this communication.
Now Pete and I hadn’t communicated in over 50 years, since our shared days as classmates at Cardinal Spellman High School. He had come back into my life as part of the contingent of CSHS Alumni – along with Danny Cahillane, Terry Hughes, and Mariann Galdi – who reached out in the summer of 2023 and invited me back into the CSHS alumni fold.
And while all four of them were genuine in their motivation and selflessly wanted to bring me back home to a school I unfortunately left after my junior year – completely my fault – Pete took the renewed contact to a different level.
In the fall of 2023, Pete reached out to let me know that he had actually read my first three books. He mentioned during random phone calls that – despite his deep devotion to the teachings of our mother church – he appreciated my more spiritual view of the concept of dying and what awaits us all on the other side of the veil, that he had derived from reading what was then known as The Claire Trilogy. You see, Pete explained to me that he was fighting a form of cancer that he had inherited from years working down in lower Manhattan by the fallen World Trade Center. So he was giving a lot of thought to the subject.
It was the first time I had discussed these concepts with anyone with that much skin in the afterlife game.
He went out of his way to make me comfortable during those conversations. Often using Irish dark humor.
So, when I heard that he had not yet read Book 4, I inscribed a copy of Finding Jimmy Moran and popped it in the mail to him.
He got right back to me. He expressed how much he enjoyed the walk down memory lane, given that we were hoping to see each other at the CSHS 50th the following summer.
We continued to talk/text for the next few months. The internal fortitude and strength he continuously demonstrated while his body was taking a beating from the disease and the treatment constantly reminded me of how small any problems I thought I had were in the big scheme of things. I learned a lot about Pete. About how much he loved his wife and kids, how much he loved his friends, and how much he loved his faith. About how much he loved the life he had lived.
And despite the toll cancer was taking on him, he kept his sense of dark Irish humor.
Especially about his favorite baseball team – The Mets.
Now Where The Ley Lines Meet had already been written and delivered to the publisher by the time Pete and I reestablished regular communication, but I promised him I would make him a lead character in my next book.
When Pete crossed the veil in early April of this year
WTLLM had already been in pre-sales for months and was about to be released later in April. But, given that there are no guarantees that I will publish another book, I wanted to do something while I still had an opportunity to get Pete’s name – along with all the other of my friends – into the last(?) book of what had now turned into The Claire Saga. So, I contacted my publisher and begged a favor. A last minute addendum to the dedication to the book.
Reagan Rothe didn’t blink an eye.
Now, I have to say that Pete Flanagan has really impressed me with the amount of pull he has demonstrated from his new position in Catholic heaven. I mean, who would have thunk it.
But the Mets don’t bear the moniker “Miracle” for nothing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_New_York_Mets_season
And wouldn’t it be wonderful to have the excitement of another Subway Series?
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2024/10/mets-yankees-world-series-when-subway-series-2000
So, yeah Pete, I’m rooting for your Dog Ass Mets to get past the LA Dodgers these next few games.
But understand that, assuming you can get the Mets into the World Series in your rookie season in heaven, that doesn’t mean for one second, I will root for them when they get there.
You see, one of the highlights of the CSHS 50th I had a few weeks back, was hanging with another one of our illustrious Spellman Classmates, Steve Donahue,
And, as you know, Steve has had a wonderful life.
https://www.cardinalspellman.org/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=771528&id=3
Now, during that last photo, while I was firmly holding onto Steve’s wrist, I may have mentioned something about biting off Steve’s ring finger, so he magnanimously offered to make me king for a day.
And since I’m probably not going to get into Catholic heaven, despite the best efforts of our common friend and devoutly Catholic, Harvard trained lawyer, Pete Sheridan,
https://thewisenovelist.com/the-adventures-of-pete-pete/
I do not feel bad tossing your favorite team under onto the subway tracks of any series that may occur as a result of your divine intervention. Good luck. And thanks for making your final months on this plain so memorable and meaningful for me.
Well, it is fittingly Sunday. And while others may rest, I cannot.
But before I begin my latest round of chores, I need to go cuddle some kitties and make my rounds.
You fine, five readers take this day of rest at God’s word.
Speaking of God, those of you Yankees fans out there need to root for the Mets these next two games like you are a member of their alternative christian church:
Pete Flanagan deserves his Subway Series.
And no matter what else we get up to, let us make today a great one.
One Response
What a great guy Pete Flanagan was – and is.🙏
And what a great run these Mets made. Like PF, they were resourceful, resilient and courageous. Left the arena undaunted and unbowed. Like Tennyson’s “Ulysses.”