The Outlaws Reunion Ends

We were grown men lucky enough to share our life experiences.

My reunion with my softball friends was a success because we wanted it to be a success. NO PROBLEM is our motto. Sure, a few minor inconveniences came up—a few guys couldn’t make it, I got a parking ticket that morning, and John had an asthma episode after dinner. But we’d waited over 30 years to get together. Nothing was going to bother us. Well, the waiter bothered us a little. We were having too good a time to give him the attention he wanted, so he was a little snippy. We left when he walked away from us for the fifth time without taking our dessert order. NO PROBLEM.

As luck would have it, there was an Italian bakery next door. They had available tables, a wide selection of coffees, and all the desserts you could ask for. What they didn’t have was time for us. They were closing. NO PROBLEM. We took our stuff to go and looked for a place where we could have a seat and keep the fun going.

As we strutted down the street (still wearing our multicolored Outlaws jerseys), I’m sure we looked like a street gang sponsored by Skittles. But the weather was glorious and in short time we discovered a playground occupied by elementary-school-age kids on motorized bikes and boards. (Bronx playgrounds are so tough they feature speed bumps.) The kids chanted our names like we were sports heroes. Well, what they actually chanted was “You suck!” But in some NYC neighborhoods, and most of the penitentiaries where these youth will be heading, that’s an acceptable greeting.

As they hurled their barbs at the out-of-place grownups with the weirdest gang colors they’d ever seen, John got that look in his eye. I thought he might want to rumble. NO PROBLEM. That’s what reunions are for. Instead, he smiled and said, “I love these kids!”

We grabbed a bench, but I kept an eye on the overexcited punks in case they radioed in for reinforcements. That’s when John told us about his girlfriend (new to some of us), and how he wants to take his adult children on a vacation. His ex-wife is invited. He said the girlfriend didn’t take it too well. NO PROBLEM? We’ll have to see if John is still dating next week. #Igaveitaliancookiestoahomelessguyonce

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