The Baseball Writers are Wrong...Again!

True confession, I was angry when I came across this article: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/26/us/baseball-hall-of-fame-class-of-2021-empty-spt-trnd/index.html because as usual, while I love the game of baseball I am always stunned by the double standards and hypocrisy that come from the writers who created the myths of the great players from the past while creating narratives for their favorite players today. 

Still, when it comes to the Hall of Fame, players should be elected based on their performance on the field. As a Dodger fan I am more than happy to root against any great Giants player but as a fan of the game I will cheer their accomplishments when I am lucky enough to witness their greatness. Then when these same greats walk away from the game I will thank them for the memories.

Yes, seeing my team finally win a World Series after a 32 year wait was a great thrill but that doesn't mean that I didn't have just as many thrills from players on other teams over the past three decades. I saw the home run chase in 1998. I saw Barry Bonds break the single season and career home run records. I saw the Yankee dynasty led my Derek Jeter. I saw the Red Sox and Cubs breaks their curses. I saw Rickey Henderson break and set the all time stolen base record. I saw Joe Carter's famous World Series home run. I saw Ichiro Suzuki's amazing all around play. I saw the great Mariano Rivera dominate hitters like no one else in history. Yes, so many great memories. 

This game is so good. 

 

Banned Substances?  

For some reason the steroid era is beat down and bullied like no other era because for some reason their cheating is just too much to handle. The great players from that era who are currently being kept out of the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writer's Association are Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. 

I find it interesting how neither player has ever been tested for steroids and/or has not been found guilty of committing any sort of crime in court and still, that is not enough. Sure, Bonds admitted to unknowingly using steroids https://www.smh.com.au/sport/barry-bonds-admits-doing-drugs-but-thought-he-was-taking-flax-seed-oil-court-hears-20110323-1c5zb.html while Clemens' trainer admitted to injecting him with steroids https://www.foxnews.com/us/clemens-former-trainer-says-he-injected-him-with-performance-enhancing-drugs. Yes, to some that is enough. These men cheated, period. No Hall of Fame. No exceptions. 

Yeah. That's one way of looking at the situation.

The Mitchell Report lists several players suspected of using steroids with many of these players not only being peers of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens but also pitchers Bonds would have faced along with batters Clemens would have faced http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/news/mitchell/players.jsp  

Yes, we can argue the ethics of steroid use but it was not a culture created by either of these players. So, why focus solely on the fact that these players cheated when we it can also be argued that they were just two of many who leveled the playing field? And it's not like the rest of the players were unaware of what was going on in the game at that time. Consider this excerpt, which is a quote from former Yankee manager Joe Torre  from Tom Verducci's book The Yankee Years: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/171445-book-review-the-yankee-years-by-joe-torre-and-tom-verducci

Though I don't remember ever having heard of this at the time, apparently former Texas Rangers pitcher Rick Helling was one of the first to blow the whistle on the steroid issue, at a players' union meeting in 1998. He challenged his fellow players to crack down on PEDs, to help make sure the game was played the right way, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. He repeatedly stated that, at least in his opinion, the increasing prevalence of steroids in baseball was forcing some otherwise clean players to consider using PEDs themselves, just to remain competitive.

And are we supposed to believe that Verducci and other baseball writers at that time were also unaware of this going on in the game? Meanwhile, I think Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman did a great job talking about this cheating culture that Bonds found himself in during this segment of Fist Take:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMgalhEEYTg 

So the big question is, are we really upset with cheaters or do we just go after the players who not only cheated but who were also the best of the best whose talent allowed them thrive even more in what was a dishonest culture? This was the same culture that Lance Armstrong competed in with his dominance pronouncing his guilt more than the other cyclists of his era. However, that doesn't make him less of a man than his peers who did the same thing. 

This is a bed that baseball made for themselves and they allowed it in order to resurrect the game that was still in shambles after the disastrous player's strike of 1994. In return, the game's popularity returned with both owners and several players making a lot of money. As Smith asked, are any of them planning on returning the money that they earned from their dishonest ways?  

Even the great Hank Aaron knows that the game and Hall of Fame are filled with cheaters.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iNycrHUGiY&t=241s   Notice, when asked if he ever cheated Aaron did not give a clear answer. With that in mind, consider the statement on the eleventh line of this article: https://sites.google.com/site/brettbushthesis/chapter-4/amphetamine-steroid-era/amphetamines 

Yes, there were whispers of steroid use at that time of that era but we also know that the game now will look back at other things before inducting people in the Hall of Fame. And with that being said, why stop at those who may receive induction? https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2021/01/character-issues-may-hurt-omar-vizquel-curt-schilllings-hall-of-fame-vote-totals.html Maybe we should go back further and reevaluate those who are in the Hall of Fame right now. 

The great Babe Ruth had many skeletons in his closet and while certain behavior traits have been overlooked for years what about cheating?  http://www.baltimoreorless.com/2011/01/babe-ruth-injected-sheeps-testicles/  And while he may have tried this method one time are we to assume that this was the only time he experimented with some kind of foreign substance in order to get an edge? The same thing would apply to the great Mickey Mantle but yet again, certain eras and methods are not held to the same standard. Unfortunately, most members of the Baseball Writers Association do not have the same set of standards as Steve Goldman: https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/1/7/5284236/time-to-delete-mickey-mantle-from-the-hall-of-fame

Then you have those who made use of amphetamines. Many baseball fans and historians dismiss the use of these substances but it's just not that easy: https://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kreidler_mark&id=2225013 And were players aware of the fact that these substances were more useful than say a few cups of coffee? Consider this quote for this article: https://www.alternet.org/2016/04/5-drugs-major-league-baseball/

Greenies" (Dexedrine) were a club house staple for decades beginning just after World War II, when ball players drafted into the military returned to the diamond having been exposed to the stimulant pills, which the armed forces dispensed by the millions. Another incubator of baseball speed-freakery was the winter Caribbean baseball circuit. There, players on seasonal hiatus discovered the two coffee pot system, where each club house had one pot with regular coffee and one with an amphetamine additive.  Talk about a morning wake me up!

Maybe we could finally have this conversation later this year when the Hall of Fame ceremony was schedule to take place. 

Inappropriate Worldview? 

Let's face it, most members of the media lean left and I really don't care. They are entitled to their opinions and while many speak of the influence they have on our culture we also need to remind ourselves that we have the right to change the channel or refrain from reading any of their books, articles or blogs. 

I am not here to agree with or defend Curt Schilling's political or social views but I will defend his right to speak his views. It's most interesting to me how in this article by Mike Oz: https://sports.yahoo.com/curt-schilling-requests-to-be-removed-from-hall-of-fame-ballot-after-falling-short-again-010044122.html we see how he was instructed by ESPN on how to run his own social media page. Again, I am not defending Schilling but I find it interesting how he is held to a strict standard due to the fact that his political and ideological views may not agree with the media herd, yet, he stated these views on his personal social media pages and not necessarily on one of the network's broadcasts.

Meanwhile, from Bob Costas to many of the baseball announcers on ESPN, how many of them have spouted their political views on live television? Do they think all of their viewers agree with them? Do they think that all of us even want to hear such things considering the fact that we may want to watch sports to escape all of the nonsense going on in our world? And many times I have found this happen over a number of innings as three people in the booth do everything but....call the game! 

There is a further hubris to the situation. Okay, so perhaps Schilling may have associated with those that many categorize as racists (let's face it, thanks to slander there are plenty of people who are purposely misrepresented by the media). But, what makes these privileged writers think that their left wing side of the aisle is devoid of any type of bigot? Consider this statement from Schilling that came from Oz's article: 

I’ve certainly been exposed to racism and sexism and homophobia as it’s part of who human beings are. I’ve played with and talked with gay teammates. I’ve played with wife beaters, adulterers, assaulted, drug addicts and alcoholics. I’ve never hit a woman, driven drunk, done drugs, PEDs or otherwise, assaulted anyone or committed any sort of crime.

Are we to think that other athletes who speak out in favor of left wing causes are free from such sins? Are we to think that all baseball writers are also free from such sins? More than that, if Schilling played with such players are we led to believe that the media were also not aware of these behaviors from many of the players that they covered? Meanwhile, did they still speak to them on a regular basis in order to complete their stories? If such characters were that disgusting why just ban them from the Hall of Fame? Perhaps they should not even have the privilege of playing major league baseball. More than that, why would these holier than thou writers even want to be around them? I'm sure their editors would understand.

And what does any of this have to do with a person's performance on the field? Obviously not much if Schilling and many other players for that matter had such players on their teams. I guess winning or even the chance of winning solves all of our personal problems. 

The Bottom Line 

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens should have made the Hall of Fame during their first year of eligibility. Their career numbers, even against their steroid using peers, more than tell the complete story as to why they deserve to be enshrined.

Curt Schilling may not a first ballot player but he certainly has the credentials to also be enshrined. 

The writers don't like Barry Bonds and this is their way of getting back at him. Even Bonds has acknowledged that he could have behaved better during his playing career: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/06/01/barry-bonds-says-he-was-stupid-for-behavior-during-playing-days/

These same writers want punish both Bonds and Clemens for their use of steroids but are they certain that each player from the same era as these two greats, including the ones who have already been enshrined, refrained from using any performance enhancing substances? 

Even if they did know, if they like the players I'm sure they would find a way to spin those facts and/or provide just enough smoke and mirrors to ease their conscience for acting as hypocrites....again. 

Yes, I am disgusted by this nonsense but it will not take away my love for the game as well as my appreciation for all that these players have done throughout the history of this great game. 

In this case I would like to thank Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling for all that you gave to the game. Now, it's time to enjoy many of their career highlights on YouTube. 

 

 

Carlos Solorzano 

@csolorzano18

 

 

   

It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Later

On January 7, 2021 my best friend Rudy Moreno passed due to complications from COVID-19. Words cannot express the pain and loss that I am feeling because the man was more than a friend to me and while many say that he was the brother I never had even those words do not explain the bond we shared. 

The last time we spoke was on Christmas Eve of 2020. Being the Rudy I have always known he made no attempt to tell me that he had already been in the hospital for about a week as he was one to always keep his struggles to himself. Once I found out that he had been hospitalized I texted him to see how he was doing. His spirits were up as he talked about being bored out of his mind and just wanting to get home and of course, back to work.

Unfortunately, that would never happen. 

I am most grateful to his niece Anita Alvarez for getting in touch with me and keeping me updated on his condition. These were not easy phone calls because Rudy had been sedated and on a ventilator. Things moved slowly and eventually took a turn for the worst. I was on a Zoom call with my daughter for her high school interview when I received a heartbreaking text that they were going to let Rudy go as there was nothing more that could be done. Later that day Anita would call to offer me a chance to say goodbye and that was when I had one final moment with Rudy to thank him for all of the times we had together, the ups and downs, the laughs, all of the trouble we caused, all of the love he showed to my family while letting him know that I look forward to seeing him again. 

Soon after that I was on my way to a gig and that's when I got the news that he had passed. I wasn't surprised and while there was great sadness I was also relieved because I knew that he was no longer suffering. I didn't expect it to happen so fast but there must have been a part of me that knew what was coming because for some reason I brought two CD's with me that I would always bring any time Rudy and I would head to a baseball game together. Of course that song that I used to call his theme song, "I'm a Legend Tonight" by KISS was playing. Yes, he was still with me just like he was for the past several years. 

Still, this is not going to be easy. If I do in fact have many more years to go how am I supposed to do the things that I do without having the chance to call up my brother to talk about it? Those phone calls all starting with his customary, What's going on? greeting with great volume and enthusiasm. Then we had our laughs, called each other names, got into intense debates about the stupidest things before ending our call with our signature Late! (To this day I still don't know where that came from). 

Then there were those annual visits, usually to go and see the latest Star Wars movie. When Disney bought the franchise he called me up and said that even though I was now living in the Tucson area there was no way we were going to miss seeing these movies together. He would always buy tickets online for myself and my kids, come down for a couple of days and we would hit the theater for a few hours of fun. Uncle Rudy would always insist on buying movie snacks for the kids before we head in to the theater to watch the latest episode of a saga that he and I had been talking about since we were kids. Now....well, at least I got to see the whole Skywalker saga with him. 

 

Early Days 

I met Rudy in the fall of 1979 at Dolores Street School in Carson, CA. We were in the same second grade class and if you want to hear one of our long standing debates it is over the room number of that classroom. He swears it was room 14 but he was wrong; it was room 15. We spent our days playing kickball and other sports with the other boys in our class. One of the things that first drew him to me was his love for Star Wars as well as the Rocky movies. He had a vast knowledge of both story lines along with the backstory of many of the characters. That was because even then he loved to read and if something was of interest to him he had to know it all. 

He was also very rambunctious and spoke a level of sarcasm that was right up there with same the tone that was spoken by my family. In other words, we clicked right away. Aside from that, he had opinions and was not afraid to sharer those opinions regardless of who you were, even if it was one of the adults in his life. Right away I could see that this was going to be a wild ride. 

We spent four of the next five years (he went to Caroldale Elementary School for 5th grade before returning to Dolores for 6th grade) having a blast doing just about anything and everything you would expect from two young boys making their way through the world. Since this was a time before the internet we spent a lot of that time riding our bikes all over Carson doing whatever we felt like doing on those days. Somehow that always included stopping somewhere and somehow getting into another one of our debates. When we weren't doing that we talked about our families and that's when I started to get a glimpse of some of challenges that he was dealing with in his life. Rudy was never one to beat himself up or complain about anything. He would simply deal with it and move on. Even if he decided to open up and tell me how he felt he would just shake it off and then we were on to our next adventure. To him, life was about living and he never wanted to dwell on the bad things that happened to him. 

Sixth grade was an interesting year as our final year at Dolores was filled with lots of shenanigans. I don't know how many times we got into trouble but my hand is sore again just thinking about the amount of standards I had to write thanks to all of the hell we raised. Here we were, young boys on the fringes of puberty harassing the girls in our class while getting into it with the other boys. I was proud of the fact that we were seen as an inseparable duo because if one of us was caught doing something everyone knew that the other was involved, too. We were not only good at covering for each other but also had an if you're going to deal with him you also have to deal with me approach to everything. 

Rudy loved football and was a big fan of the Miami Dolphins. He admired quarterback Dan Marino so he was great at tossing the ball around. One day while our class was on a walking field trip with another class we took a break at Carson Park. While we were there the boys decided to play some tackle football. To be honest, our class was getting wrecked. We couldn't move the ball at all while the other class was lighting us up on offense. That was when Rudy's patience wore out. When we received yet another kickoff he yells out, Give me the damn ball! We huddled up and when the other guys asked what play he wanted to run he yells out, Keep them off of me and I will find you!

Yes, he wanted the other team to know what he had in mind. 

The ball was snapped and just like he called it, the ball flew through the air into the hands of one of our classmates and we scored a touchdown. And this happened again, and again. We didn't finish the game thanks to our teachers calling us back in but we got pretty close to tying the score. On our way back to school the guys from both classes commended Rudy for owning the game. 

My time at Dolores was also when I started to play the drums and develop of deep passion for music. Rudy was the one I would share a lot of my discoveries with. I would talk to him about my love for KISS along with all that I was learning during my private lessons. There were also many days he would be at my house listening to my KISS records with me. There were a number of songs that he also liked so we had a great time just hanging out and rocking out to the hottest band in the world!" 

This was the 1980's so pro wrestling was hot! These were the days of Hulk Hogan and the other great icons so like most boys from that time period we not only watched wrestling but wrestled each other. He was a lot bigger than me so I lost plenty of matches to him. The only way I could get the jump on him was to cheat but the problem with that was he gave it back as good as he got it so I usually ended up on the short end of the stick. That was why I preferred to have matches with other guys closer to my size who also had a greater sense of sportsmanship. 

Our first year of middle school brought a lot of changes for us. We both went on to Andrew Carnegie Middle School and while we would still hang out we both met other people and began to expand our circle of friends. Little did we know that this would also be the last year we would go to school together as he made the decision to attend another middle school called Stephen M. White while my parents put me in Catholic School. 

This would be the time he would also begin his lifelong passion of being a fan of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Even though they had just come off a long awaited post season appearance Rudy liked the whole underdog identity of the team and wanted to be a part of history when they finally broke through and won a World Series. Of course he had to pick any team other than my beloved Los Angeles Dodgers, just to give me a hard time. Still, we both had a great appreciation for the game so when we weren't arguing over team supremacy we would just talk about the great games that went on during this magical time. 

Later that year a movie would come out that would become one of his all time favorites: Top Gun! Rudy already had a great love for aviation so this movie only whet his appetite all the more. When we weren't talking about this movie or even a film like Iron Eagle we would find our way to the arcade where he would conquer the video game Afterburner as he played that game like the Tom Cruise Maverick character from Top Gun! We had even more fun when the game made its way to the Sega video game console because then he would play it in my bedroom while I cranked Iron Maiden's "Aces High" on my stereo.

Our high school years were when we spent the most time apart. Going to separate schools, meeting new people, experiencing life in different ways...it all led to us doing our own thing. It wasn't until my junior and senior year when we started to hang out again. We were both driving so it was easier to get around to see each other once we were out of school. We had some funny stories to share and he really had my high school friends in stitches with his rebellious ways. Still, we made sure to make time for ourselves doing the things we loved the most.

First off, we both loved comic books so we were always hanging out a The Comic Cult or Geoffrey's Comics in Torrance, CA and when we had some extra time and cash we would head out to Comics Unlimited in Huntington Beach, CA. I was into Batman while he was a Marvel guy so we were always picking up our favorite pieces to read along with any videos or movies we could find. 

Another thing we both shared a love for was music. By this time in my life I was a full blown record collector as I picked up any KISS import or bootleg I could get my hands on. Rudy was a big fan of The Doors so he too was out looking for pieces to add to his collection. We would usually hit up Tower Records in Torrance, CA or the Tape and Record Room in Long Beach, CA. He always got a kick out of the excitement I would show when I found another gem to add to my collection. Then he would tell me to calm down because I was making a scene. 

Rudy was really taken by Jim Morrison and when you have a fan that also loves to read that means you have someone who not only takes in all of the song lyrics but also reads any book he could find on his musical hero (I was always proud to add to that collection). I used to love to hear him talk about Jim's upbringing along with the way he worked as an artist. Rudy loved the fact that Jim always wanted to create, even onstage and how The Doors never wanted to play their songs the same way each night. He appreciated the daring nature of what the band wanted to do, which of course was the way he lived his life every single day. Rudy the rebel!

Jim Morrison by Rudy Moreno

Rudy loved to create but for him it had to be for the right reasons. Take for example the fact that he was an amazing artist. From the time we were kids he amazed everyone with his artistic skills and while many of us assumed that he would go on to make a living as an artist he made it clear, even back then, that he would never do that because he didn't want to lose his love for it by having it become a job. I think that was something that drew him to Morrison because Morrison too had to see the creativity in what he was doing and not just the cash reward. So whenever I came to him with any of my musical ambitions he was always there to remind me that I had to love what I was doing or I would not be appreciating my skills. 

He continued to have opinions and now that he was older he didn't see much of a line to cross when it came to who he speaking with. A lot of times he would rub people the wrong way but to him it was simple: if you ask a question or bring up a point he's going to tell you what he thinks, whether you like it or not. If that made him the bad guy then so be it. That never bothered him because that also meant that he never went against his principles. He also didn't care about pleasing people if it required him to be dishonest.

Two Perfect Villains

That was the way he rolled.

He also knew that people would at times question me as to why I would be friends with someone like him.  I liked the fact that he was honest and if it hurt my feelings at times then too bad. Did I want the truth or did I want someone to hold my hand through life? Further, it wasn't like Rudy didn't endure his own struggles and when he did I would usually find out about it after the fact. So why was he going to feel sorry for me or anyone else when he knew from experience that you get through life by identifying each obstacle and dealing with it. I would always go to him for advice or feedback knowing that he still had to be the Rudy before I would get the word of wisdom I needed. He usually concluded our therapy sessions with one of his favorite lines from Kevin Costner in the movie Bull Durham, and yes, it's a sarcastic line: I can't keep giving you these free lessons! 

Gotta love this guy! 

That is why if we could compare our friendship to any duo in history it had to be Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. They were different but they were also honest and loyal. While the movie depictions of these characters were certainly different than history I always loved how they would depict Earp telling those who questioned his friendship with Doc that they didn't know his friend the way he did. That was certainly true for Rudy and me and if no one else understood, it didn't matter.

 

Growing Up

When we got out of high school he decided that he wanted to get into the work world while I went to college and worked various part time jobs. This was also the time I started to gig in the local music scene and there was no way he was going to miss these shows. He was at my first club gig ever and for years he would drive with me to most of my shows all over Southern California so he could help me load my gear and support me in the audience. Then once we were packed and ready to head home he would offer his assessment of the show and then a fist bump before telling me that I did a good job. That was his way of keeping me humble and hungry for more.

It was one thing for us to argue all the time but now we were two legal adults getting into some real deep discussions that were more than just about our favorite baseball players and comic book heroes. Now we talked about religion, politics, current events, life direction, moral issues...tons of stuff. I may have been the one in college but since Rudy never shied away from learning on his own he always had my respect. And boy did he remind me all the time that I was the one paying to learn in a classroom while he bought books and/or made use of his library card.  

We had a lot of those deep discussions while hanging out at a local cigar shop. As we got older we found new things to do and one of them was to grab a stogie at Briar Rose in the Carson Mall or at Joe R's Cigars in Long Beach, CA. My favorite memory of doing that back in those days was one night in Hollywood when my band at the time had just finished a killer set in front of a huge audience. I was definitely feeling great and while most performers would want to immerse themselves among their attendees I walked a few blocks down the street with Rudy, grabbed a couple of stogies and then had a quiet moment with my brother from another mother. There was nowhere else I wanted to be at that moment because no one had ever supported me as long as he did.

Then there were the countless number of baseball games we attended. Sometimes we planned it and sometimes it was a random phone call: What are you doing? Nothing? Let's go to a game. Mind you, this was a time when it was affordable to go on a regular basis, especially since we would sit in the top deck behind home plate with the homies.  Of course we would fight at the games because I rooted for the Dodgers while he cheered for their opponent. Yes, most of our games involved the Dodgers playing the Cubs with my favorite one being a game on his birthday when he insisted that we sit field level. The Cubs won a nail biter so I was really happy for him. The best part from these moments was what we did after most games in order to avoid the Los Angeles traffic jam: we'd light up a stogie in the parking lot and play some catch.

Proud Cubs fan

Baseball is a great love of ours and I can remember an evening at my home when we watched the Cubs play the Giants in a one game playoff for the wild card spot during the 1998 season. My Dodgers were out of the picture and there was no way I was going to root for the Giants so there we were at my place in Torrance watching the game, which took place at Wrigley Field. As expected, it was a war and the Cubs came out on top. When the final out was recorded at first base by his favorite player Mark Grace we screamed aloud as his beloved Cubs finally made the post season for the first time since he had become a die hard fan. Then we embraced and celebrated the moment by reminiscing on all of the years that we watched baseball together. We told some of the same stories we had talked about for years with neither of us getting tired of them. Why? As Rudy would say, that's what friends do.

He is the reason why I am married and have my family. It all came down to the fact that he knew a female singer who was looking for a drummer for the band she was putting together. While I wouldn't end up working with her at that time he still introduced us and we ended up becoming good friends before dating, getting married and having two amazing kids that Rudy loved like his own nieces and nephews. For him it was never going to get further than that as he was always happy to celebrate what he called Happy Not Being a Father Day. Still, he had a special way of showing his love to the children of those who were close to him. 

Geographical Distance 

In 2006 I moved my family to the Tucson area as it was time for a change in scenery. There were a few reasons that made the move hard and being away from him was one of them. But he was supportive, in his own way. I would hear for months, I can't believe you're moving to Arizona, with me responding with, I'll miss you, too. Then I got the famous Rudy smirk. Being the bro that he was he helped me move my stuff to the desert. While we were in my big U-Haul truck he would talk about how all he could see was dirt, rock and cactus and how he couldn't understand why I was moving to this jerkwater state. Okay, Rudy....I'll play along. We stopped for gas so I opened up the back of the truck in order to grab my guitar because after all, it was his turn to drive. I put my feet up on the dashboard and spent about an hour making up red neck songs about how much I loved dirt, rock and cactus, of course with a bit of twang in my voice. 

I think he might have smacked me once or twice. 

At this time Rudy was working hard as a casual. Once my family settled into our new life I would call when I could and I he would always talk about how focused he was on accumulating his hours in order to earn that long awaited letter (longshoreman talk for those who are trying to figure this out).  The job changed him as he now had a purpose that he never had before. Yes, the letter was going to increase his pay and all but it was more than that. He talked a lot about taking care of his mom along with the dedication he had to those he worked with due to the risks that they faced on a daily basis. He talked about how the job helped him grow up quite a bit (yes, he actually admitted that to me), which was very inspiring considering the fact that he spent years wearing all black while stating that he did so in order to mourn his lost childhood. 

I. L. W. U Local 13

Our conversations began to change as we focused more on work and other important things than just silly nonsense and senseless debates. Not to say that we didn't have a round or two from time to time but now we focused on things that affected our loved ones more than one of us having to be right about the things we usually talked about. 

Soon he would make his way down to my home for a visit, and of course the excuse was to go to a baseball game. When we had our first quiet moment at my dining room table he whispered, Hey! I leaned in a bit. He fist bumped me and said, It's good to be here. 

It was a pretty emotional moment for us and, well, that was Rudy.  

Then we were in my car heading up to Phoenix for our first baseball game at Chase Field. The Dodgers were in town to play the Diamondbacks and as we drove on the 10 Freeway I brought the same CD's I always brought when we drove to Dodger Stadium because there is nothing like Rock music and baseball.

Chase Field

The Dodgers did what they do best, they lost, and to make matters more pleasing to Rudy, that was the night they were officially eliminated from post season play that particular season. Still, we had a great time at a new stadium watching baseball! 

This would continue on as we caught a game whenever we could. Aside from that we started to add a little more to our list of activities. First, it was going to concerts. During one of his baseball visits I surprised him when I told him that we were going to see KISS the night before our scheduled baseball game. He was surprised to say the least and it was quite the night as it ended up being his first concert....ever! And it was the hottest band in the world, KISS! 

Of course when you go to a KISS concert there is a lot of stuff that happens before the show begins. Rudy got a taste of KISS culture so whether it was hanging out with the wild fans or the lovely ladies who were there to make their presence known to Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, he got his fill of the KISS Army that night.

The show started and we had a blast. To see my favorite band ever in my new home state along with my lifelong friend was amazing! One would think that this night would hard to top and yet Rudy found a way to do just that. 

Years later when KISS began their End of the Road tour I was back and forth on whether I wanted to go. I was busier than ever and thinking more of the things my kids were interested in so I was leaning more towards not going even though it was going to be their last tour ever.

One night Rudy calls me and asks me, If I buy tickets to the Glendale, AZ show will you and your son meet me there? I was stunned. So, when I asked him why he would want to do that he said, I went to my first concert with you in Arizona and if this is their last tour then have to see them one last time. And, since you're son has never seen them in concert you have to bring him, too.

Wow!

My son and I drove up to Glendale to meet up with Uncle Rudy. After knocking down some burgers at Johnny Rockets and having some banter with other members of the KISS Army we made our way to the Gila River Arena. The excitement was definitely there and the band did not disappoint. We had a blast but more than that, I still can't believe he did what he did. But, as we all know, it's the memories we have with those that we love more than the events themselves. 

Waiting for KISS!!!

The set list was a list of classics that I rocked out with Rudy for years first as kids in my bedroom and later in my car while we were out looking for trouble. Now my son was with us and got a chance to be a part of the experience I had with his Uncle Rudy all of these years. And he had a great time himself.

Being the selfless person he that he was he treated my daughter the same way he treated his nieces. Word got back to me for years that this hard edge, self-professed bad guy would melt for the little princesses in his family. My daughter was no an exception to that rule. One year for her birthday she was aching for a scooter and right when I was looking to get one for her he called to ask me what he should get my baby girl for her birthday. I mentioned what I was doing at that moment and he insisted on taking over for dad. So before I knew it I was on my bike riding along with my daughter while she was screaming in delight. Yes, she was having a blast feeling a sense of freedom on her new scooter but aside from that all she talked about was how awesome Uncle Rudy was.

Yes mija, he is amazing!

His trips to Arizona were always a lot of fun. Being a fan of history Rudy absolutely loved it when we drove down to Tombstone for a day to just hang out and see the sights. He was a big fan of the movie Tombstone and Wyatt Earp so he had a great time seeing many of the landmarks that were mentioned in the movies. Of course we had to top it off by having a couple of Johnny Ringo outlaw stogies at a local cigar shop. There we were, now a couple of middle age guys hanging out on the famous streets of Tombstone acting bigger than we were. In other words, nothing had ever changed. We were just as delusional as ever and had a great time doing it. 

One of my favorite memories was taking Rudy to the Pima Air and Space Museum at a time when they began to display one of his favorite marvels of American defense, the Blackbird. He loved to go to air shows and talked about the thrill he had when he spoke to the Blackbird test pilot. That's when I asked him if he wanted to see the Blackbird up close.

In his element

He told me that he wouldn't believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. 

We walked into the hangar and I will never forget the look on his face. He walked up to the Blackbird and spent several moments just looking at it without moving before he realized that he was allowed to walk around the aircraft. Then he looked at one of the staff members and asked if he could actually touch it. When the gentleman nodded he was in heaven. Then he took a few pictures with this treasure and sent them to his brother Steve who was stunned. It was great to be a part of that moment in his life. 

Tucson also gave me a chance to entertain Rudy with some of his favorite foods. He would talk to me about different steak houses he liked to go to so during one his trips to the desert I told him that I was going to take him to a real steakhouse. Being the Rudy that we all knew he almost dared me to try.

Challenge accepted!

My family took him to the only place one should go to when they go out for a steak in Tucson and that is Pinnacle Peak's! He loved the atmosphere as it was casual and relaxed like many of the places we preferred to frequent in our younger days. If you wear a tie they cut it off and hang it on the ceiling. You go there to have fun and enjoy some serious southern chow. 

Our orders arrived and he was anxious to see if I would be true to my word. The moment his steak arrived his eyes almost fell out as he blurted, where is the plate? Yes, these steaks are huge. I joined in with my own Big Cowboy Steak as our fast from earlier that day was about to pay off. At one point he started to feel full and I was like, No way bro. Man up and finish it like me (okay, I had more practice since this was not my first time eating at this place). We fist bumped and then fulfilled our manly duty of conquering our steaks.

My last performance as a California resident took place at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, CA in the summer of 2006. Of course the same best friend who was at my first club gig was at my last CA club gig, which meant the world to me. That is why I was still as amazed when he came for one of his many Arizona visits and was sitting in the crowd at the Outlaw Saloon during a gig I had about three years ago. I figured he'd be tired from the drive and expected to see him the following day but he said that he hadn't seen me perform in a while so he had to come down to check it out. It was great to see him in the audience again and he was really happy to see that I was still doing what I loved to do. 

On June 1, 2019 I was back in California leading a drumming Master Class at a place called Motherland Music in Inglewood, CA. There I was setting up my gear and the first one to walk in was Rudy! Our brotherhood was based on loyalty and as he once told a friend of his: I know that Carlos and I live far from each other now. Sometimes we don't see each other for a while but we always talk whenever we can and if either of us ever needs the other we know that we'll be there.                                               

That was the way we rolled. It have to say that it was certainly more of him doing that for me because like I said earlier, he preferred to keep his own struggles to himself. Sometimes it would take weeks or months for me to find out what he had been dealing with and now that we were older, yes, there were moments of concern. I would get on him for not telling me but he would shrug it off and say that he didn't want to bother me because I needed to focus on my family.

Always there for me

Dude! We are family!

But that's just how he was. While he loved to complain about world events and the behavior of public figures he never complained about things that happened to him. He dealt with them and moved on. Trouble at work? Take care of it. Girl issues? Deal with the drama and then offer his famous, Late! before he walked out on them. Money problems? He worked more hours and took care of his business. That was just the way he was.

 

Not So Happy Ending 

We spent a lot of time talking about the frustrations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. I had to cancel a number of business trips while losing lots of gigs during the shut down. Rudy was mainly working at the docks and staying home but was concerned about being exposed to the virus because of the number of people he had to work with. While the uneasiness was there it didn't stop us from talking about the future. 

Of course it had to do with baseball. We still wanted to go to Wrigley Field to see his beloved Cubs play a home game. We also talked about going to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Negro League Hall of Fame and, one day, we wanted to go and see some baseball games in Japan. 

Then December of 2020 rolled around and I found out that Rudy was in the hospital because he had contracted COVID-19. Of course being the stubborn person he was he didn't tell me so when I texted him he got back to me quickly and said he was feeling better and should be home soon. I told him that I had a COVID-19 test and came out negative. He replied with, You are lucky and I responded with I know. 

That was the last time we spoke. 

Soon his niece Anita Alvarez contacted me to tell me that he was on a ventilator and sedated in the ICU. I was stunned to say the least. She continued to contact me with regular updates and unfortunately he never recovered. Before I knew it, she allowed me to call in and say goodbye to him so I said what I needed to say and then told him that I would see him soon. 

Later that evening while I was at my gig I got the word that he had passed. It was devastating to say the least and I was really glad that I had some drums to pound on because I needed to let out the pain. More than that, I could hear Rudy telling me to, get on that stage and go to work doing what you do best. Life is about living and you're still here buddy. 

Yes sir! 

I'm still not sure how things are going to be now that I have this permanent void in my life. First, it was losing my father and then my best friend. Thankfully, I have my family to look after, other great friends who are always there for me as well as my own dreams and goals that Rudy would want me to continue pursuing. 

I do know this much: When it's my time to go, when it's my time to finally be with God in heaven, Rudy will be the one to greet me at the entrance. Of course the first thing he'll say loudly is, What's going on? Knowing him, he'll probably have Eric Carr, my favorite drummer from KISS who passed in 1991, there with him. After finally getting to meet Eric I can see him saying, your buddy has told me a lot about you. 

Yes, that's Rudy. I'll give him that look we both know and smile before he looks at me and says, Wait until you meet Jim Morrison.

Then we'll give each other a big hug and he'll say to me, Come on man, there's a lot of people who have waited a long time to see you again. 

As we make our way in he'll look back at St. Peter and say, Hey Pedro!

St. Peter will give him a look. 

LATE!

Yes my friend, we will see each other again.  God bless you. Rest in peace. 

2020: Tested, Beaten but Not Defeated

2020 has been a tough year and my heart goes out to those who have endured challenges that I never had to encounter. Even though we prepare for the changing of the calendar we are far from being finished with this pandemic so all we can do is wait for the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have no shame in saying that I experienced many moments of sadness as regular disappointments became a part of my life. Still, I had to move on instead of dwelling on things that I was unable to control. On many occasions I would ask myself: what can I actually do right now while I am stuck at home? Yes, I am someone who rarely needs any sense of motivation but these difficult times made it hard for me to even want to get out of bed. Thank God for the people in my life who encouraged me when I really needed it because without them I don't think I would have made it. 

So as I start this review of 2020 it is very important for me to keep that on the front burner because my accomplishments could not have happened without their support. I believe in my heart that they were there by the grace of God.

 

HCD (Humana Corpus Dignitate)

As many of you know, 2019 was the year I co-founded a Catholic ministry with Angel Delallana called Humana Corpus Dignitate. We had a great start as we had been going back and forth between the Los Angeles and Tucson areas leading retreats and talks at various Catholic parishes and schools on the dignity of the human person. The beginning of 2020 was actually an exciting time for us as we led some Confirmation retreats in the Tucson area before attending and doing a lot of networking at the Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, CA.

Then the shut down occurred and like everyone else, we hit a wall while experiencing many losses along the way. We had a big week planned in the Los Angeles area as we were scheduled to lead multiple talks at St. Philomena Parish and School in Carson, CA before capping it off with a day long retreat at Pauline Books and Media in Culver City, CA. We tried to hold out as long as we could but as expected, each event was cancelled. 

This would not be the last of our disappointments. We were scheduled to attend the Catholic Marketing Network Momentum International Trade Show & Conference in Dallas, TX  and while that event did go virtual it also meant that we would not be able to personally meet and network with other people in the world of ministry. Later, the Arizona Marian Conference, which was an event I had attended multiple times before to sell my books, was also cancelled.

It was hard, especially when the cancelled dates arrived on our calendars. We would use some of that time to either talk about what we were feeling or to just pray together. Once the sadness disappeared it was time to get back to work.

First, some of our previous networking efforts allowed us to accept an invitation to appear on Jesse Romero's Jesus 911 Radio Show where we talked about the Pornification and Sexualization of Our Culture. This was right up our alley because we had the opportunity to share a lot of what we discuss during our presentations with a wider audience. Jesse is a passionate person who is also a straight shooter and he along with his listeners were also able to see that we have a similar approach. https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/jesus-911/04-jun-2020-the-voFQ_91jxVB/ 

Recently we were invited to appear on another Catholic podcast called Sewing Hope where we talked with Anne DeSantis and Bill Snyder about our ministry as well as some of the things we did to stay busy during the pandemic. They were both amazing to speak with and very supportive of what we are doing.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23l2nm0xVHc&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2F283G6Zqht4REpzIk1DczQ3eT3HFoB2uqrzhq-KfdV2WmPWTakNorEiM

Angel then did a total overhaul of our website and her amazing efforts gave a better presentation of all that we have done thus far as well what we can do virtually and in person. Everyone who has seen the updated website have praised her work, which is well deserved because she is very creative and talented. https://www.hcdtalks.com/ 

The website features our blogs as well as conversations that we had with some amazing people who are also in the world of ministry. We were honored to not only share the efforts of these great people but also learned so much during each conversation while also being inspired by all that our guests do for the Kingdom of God. 

We also had some opportunities to lead talks and short retreats over Zoom in both parish and school settings so we were grateful to continue our work even if it was not in the way that we were accustomed to doing it. It was a great opportunity for us to learn how to adapt to these changing times while also giving us ideas on how we can employ technology once things level out. 

As we continued to work I received some good news that will only help our ministry move forward. Prior to the creation of HCD I submitted an application to the Catholic Speaker's Organization. This past spring I was invited to join their roster of featured speakers. Once this happened I directed them to HCD and they were very excited to see what we were doing. Now they are reviewing Angel's professional and ministry background to see about adding her to their speaker's roster as well. Meanwhile, I am starting to receive inquiries for talks via Zoom so I am thrilled to be starting this new chapter of my life. https://catholicspeakers.com/profiles/carlos-solorzano-2

Soon after joining Catholic Speaker's Organization I finally received my certification through the Theology of the Body Institute so I can add that along with my college degrees and teaching experience in terms of what I bring to my background as a public speaker. On top of that, we can also add Angel's extensive medical education and experience as a medical professional along with her experience as a Nursing and Catechetical instructor. 

This is very exciting time for us but we also know that it is a time for prayer and more learning, which is why we signed up for the Foundations Seminar on Science and Religion through the University of Notre Dame. Right now we have started the preliminary assignments that we have to complete before attending this conference that is scheduled for July of 2021. So far, it has been an amazing experience.

 

Sun Mirror Productions 

About a month into the pandemic I was hit with some other disturbing news. My book publisher was going through some financial hardships so they made the difficult decision to allow authors a chance to sever their contracts. I spoke to Angel about this and inquired about the possibility of re-releasing my books through our ministry due to the fact that they all have a faith based theme. She was immediately taken by the idea and that's when she shared an idea with me: she wanted us to start our own production company! 

This led to the creation of Sun Mirror Productions, which is an entity tied to HCD that would oversee the release of a variety of creative projects. Aside from my work in ministry and writing I also write my own original music and have been leading drumming Master classes for years. Angel is also very creative with her crafts and is now working with me on story ideas in order to create fictional scenarios that fit the message of our ministry. In looking at all that we do along with our ability to work well together it only made sense for us to assist each other with the distribution of these products. https://www.sunmirrorproductions.com/

Our first decision was to make some changes to my books. Thankfully, I Am His Mother didn't need a lot of work other than changing the name of the publisher on the product. That allowed us to get a product out there almost immediately and once that happened we got to work in terms of promoting it. As of now we are currently negotiating with some distributors about the possibility of getting the book in places where it is currently unavailable while working on an audio version of the book that will be released sometime in 2021. https://www.amazon.com/Am-His-Mother-Carlos-Solorzano/dp/B088BJLMC6/ref=tmm_pap_title_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=  

Through Time & Eternity and An Early Apocalypse needed some work. Our first decision was that each of them would go back to using the original covers that were made by the brother in law. We also decided to go through the stories again in order to keep them closer to the way they were originally written. Through Time & Eternity was re-released on Halloween of this year while we plan to re-release An Early Apocalypse sometime during Lent in 2021. Meanwhile, we are starting to brainstorm on what will be the final book in what is called The Angelic Conspiracy. https://www.amazon.com/Through-Time-Eternity-Angelic-Conspiracy/dp/B08M2FXYNC

The final bit of writing that I was able to review and update was my music memoir titled A Speck in the Sand. The year 2021 will be special for me as it will be my 30th year of being a professional performer. So, I decided to commemorate that year with an updated version of this book that will include new pictures, updated reflections of past experiences along with reflections on events from the last five years. I am very pleased with all of the updates and excited for this version to be re-released sometime soon.  

Finally, I have also had the privilege of watching Angel showcase her creativity as she has been making a number of beautiful Rosaries and other religious items. Many of these items are available on her Angelicrafts Etsy page and will also be available at Catholic conferences that we will be attending along with other HCD and Sun Mirror products once things level out. https://www.etsy.com/shop/AngeliCraftedinFaith

 

Music 

The most obvious disappointment were all of the cancelled performances. Prior to the shut down my group Badlands had just come out of the gate and in the midst of a nice four month run. We were starting to gain some momentum when we had to face the reality of staying home for what seemed like a long time.

During our down time we reviewed our set list in order to solidify the sound of the band, did some rehearsing and then added another member who brought even more to the sound and energy of the group. Eventually things opened up again and even though there were restrictions we were still excited to be able to perform again. Each show has been a blessing for us and those who enjoy live music.

I did not want the lost gigs to weight me down so the last thing I did at home was sit around and think about it. After all, the life of a musician is more than performing in public. Right away I had made the decision to do some serious practicing on my drums while working on a lot of new musical ideas. It was during time that I was able to complete a few musical projects, which in turn expanded the number of products offered by Sun Mirror Productions.

First, I was already in the process of finishing what would become my second solo album called Beneath the Surface. Angel was the one who came up with the title and then made a beautiful cover before we released the music on my birthday of all days! This was an exciting time for me as this album allowed me the chance to share my other musical abilities and not just what I can do as a drummer. Aside from that we also decided to redo the cover for my Desert Drummer album, which allowed Angel to showcase more of her visual creativity.  https://www.sunmirrorproductions.com/music 

Second, I had developed a number of drumming exercises over the years that I use during my practice sessions so I decided to compile them into what would become my first drumming book: Precision Drumming: Exercises for Accuracy and Endurance in Common Time. Once again, Angel made a beautiful cover from a picture she took at a Master Class that I did in the Los Angeles area in the summer of 2019. I am very proud of this book and am most pleased with the reaction I have received from many local pro drummers in my hometown of Tucson, AZ along with some other high profile players who have also praised my work.  https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Drumming-Exercises-Accuracy-Endurance-ebook/dp/B08C2543GH 

Aside from that I was also given the chance to have a little bit of fun. I was very surprised when I was invited to take part in an online series called 10 Questions for Tucson Musicians. It gave me a chance to talk about my musical background, my love for some of my favorite musical groups while also having a few laughs, which I really needed at that time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKyCYDBtxMc&feature=youtu.be 

 

Me Time 

One of the joys I had during this pandemic was watching the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA title and then watch my favorite sports team from my favorite sport ever win the World Series. I must admit that I never thought I would see it again but The Los Angeles Dodgers, after a 32 year wait, finally won the World Series again. Yes, I live in Arizona but I grew up in the Los Angeles area so I am down here living in the heat and taking the heat for loving two sports teams that most people hate. As of now I just say, don't hate, congratulate. 

To see the Lakers tie the Boston Celtics with the number of NBA titles won by a franchise was something I had longed to see and now our stacked team looks like they have a chance to compete for another title next season that we hope will put the Lakers on top once and for all. We know that the Celtics won't take this lightly so I look forward to the upcoming NBA season. 

I grew up watching and playing a lot of baseball and the Dodgers were always my team. I had many heartbreaks in my life but was still blessed to have witnessed their World Series victories in 1981 and 1988. While it took longer than any of us wanted we finally got our victory and the wait was worth it. I have watched the season and playoff highlights numerous times as it never gets old.

I don't know what's going to happen next season but my sports thrills from this year are forever. No asterisks, no exceptions. Every team had the same circumstances and challenges as the NBA and MLB did the best they could to give the teams a chance to play and the fans a chance to watch them play. How is that a bad thing? And for those who complain about the spending habits of both teams: Sorry if some billionaires will actually spend money to give their teams a chance to win while others prefer to sit back and complain. If anything, the Dodgers have shown that spending big bucks does not guarantee anything as the players still have to deal with the pressure of winning (that and cheaters like the Houston Astros & Boston Red Sox). So with that being said, give the players the credit they truly deserve. 

Aside from the enjoying the most recent basketball and baseball seasons I also purchased several books about past Laker and Dodger seasons and have enjoyed the chance to relive some special memories. Of course any team from the Los Angeles area will have an interesting story to tell but this also gave me something interesting to do while remaining at home.

I also continued to pursue my passion for record collecting. Since I spent so much time at home it was time to search for musical treasures that needed to be in my collection as well as the collections of those close to me. It was great to find some things at a decent price while also surprising some of my loved ones with things that had been on their radar from quite some time. Just another example of how it's the little things that matter the most. 

Looking to the Future 

After my last gig of the year, the latest COVID-19 spike (which forced me to cancel a business trip to California to do more work with HCD....ugh, more disappointments!), as well as having my own COVID-19 scare (thankfully, I tested negative) I decided that it was time to stay home for the holidays and just chill out with my family. It's going to feel great to just be in my little desert oasis living the simple life.  

I believe in hope but hope requires everyone to do their part to create a better future. I am not oblivious to this new normal that everyone is talking about so as always, it's about working hard while adapting to our ever changing environment. It's not like I haven't dealt with this before, which is why I live by this code: Tell me what I need to know and I'll deal with it. 

Yes, I continue to feel the pain and struggle that has plagued our world this past year. Yes, there are still those days when I feel like giving up but that's when I rely on those who have encouraged me along with the determination that has driven me over the past several years. More than that, I don't want to waste the gifts that God has given to me.

Live! Love! Endure! Do the things that make you and others happy. Explore new opportunities and don't be afraid to share your gifts with the world. That is why I have been using this hashtag at the end of many of my posts: 

 #LiveYourLife 

Yes, live your life! That serves as a word of encouragement to others as well as myself because no matter what, life is always worth living. 

God bless you all! 

 

Carlos Solorzano 

@csolorzano18 

IG:desertdrummer 

https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano 

 

                        
 

And Here We Go....Beginning Another Year at St. A's

Please forgive the Joker quote but I just watched The Dark Knight with my son last weekend as we were in the middle of a Batman marathon and it's stuck in my head.

Summer was quite busy for me as I spent a lot of time writing, recording music in my home studio and practicing hard on my drums. Overall I had a great break from teaching as I made some serious progress with more than one of my creative endeavors. The thing I was happiest with was my drumming, which was demonstrated mostly at my gigs. I was really feeling it and when my band mates told me they saw a difference in my playing that really meant a lot to me because they are super talented and have my utmost respect.

Other than that I spent a lot of time doing a lot of exercise while making changes to my diet as I wanted to improve my health for personal reasons, to be stronger at future shows and to survive the upcoming school year as I knew I would be asked to do even more than I did the previous year. Before I knew it the last day of vacation had come and gone and now it was time to head back to work.

I must admit that during the last week of my vacation I was anxious to get back into my normal routine since teaching is what I do for a living and because I was looking forward to starting another year at St. Augustine Catholic High School. I was looking forward to seeing my colleagues who are also dear friends while also meeting our amazing new teachers who I knew would do so many great things for our school community.

Then there are those students who certainly keep things interesting. Last year was a great joy for me as I met some of the most amazing young people ever. Of course I was also excited to meet my new students, which would include most of the students in the senior class since I was changing schedules this year as well as the new freshmen class who were about to take a big step in their lives.

Before the students came though we had our regularly scheduled beginning of the year teacher meetings. Each day was filled with lots of love and laughs so right away it felt great to be back. I also had a great time meeting with my department members as we planned many of our theological activities for the upcoming semester.

The first day with students finally arrived and I started the day teaching the first of three senior Apologetics classes. This was the first time I taught this class but I was really excited about it because this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. So far we've had some great discussions and I've enjoyed giving them a chance to ask whatever questions were on their minds in order to do whatever I could to both guide them and to encourage them to think for themselves.

My other theology class is a Sacraments class, which is a subject I haven't taught in four years. This is a junior class so it reunited me with some of my students from the last school year and it was so good to see how much they had changed in a year's time. Right away we had some more laughs as well as some great discussions in class and I am looking forward to creating more memories with these amazing students.

I am also teaching the Freshmen Seminar class again and I must say that the students I have this year are great. They are so kind, respectful and eager to learn, which makes my job so much easier. I can already see that they truly appreciated everything I have shared with them as this class is designed to help our young students adjust to being in high school.

Finally, it was time to hit those drums again! The first challenge to my Percussion class was that after about two days of classes all of the schedule changes and other chaos led to me only have three students return from last year. While I would prefer to have more continuity in the class I must say that I am pleasantly surprised at the eagerness and enthusiasm of both the returning St. A's students who wanted to give percussion a shot as their elective course along with the incoming freshmen who wanted to be in the class after seeing us perform at their feeder schools the year before. These students have all come in ready to go as they are willing to try anything and everything while most importantly, having fun! We have a lot of work to do and there will be some challenges as you can't just replace the amazing students I had last year but I am both looking forward to the challenge and the results these students will produce as their drive to do better is already there.

Aside from the new classes that I am teaching I am also working out of two new classrooms. My theology classroom is in another wing and the percussion room was moved out of the Administration building, which made so many people so happy! So in terms of starting a new year there are a lot of new things that have happened to me already, which allowed me to freshen up a bit.

Finally, the last thing I have to say is how grateful I have been to everyone at the school for making my first year back such a memorable one. I left for the summer feeling appreciated beyond measure, which only made me want to come back and work even harder this year. Change brings growth and this year has been one of the busiest starts of my teaching career. Aside from the regular preparations that come from teaching a new class and/or returning to a class that one hasn't taught in a while there have been other responsibilities that have fallen on my lap. I must admit that there are some days that I have already come home exhausted but not without feeling like I have really accomplished something. The great thing about this though is that I have plenty of help and support from my colleagues who are also working just as hard. I still feel that same sense of teamwork that I felt last school year so I am ready to go back every day for more.

I guess it's safe to say that this is going to be a great year.

Carlos Arthur Solorzano
@csolorzano18

Thank you St. A's for a Great Year

I am exhausted but if I were to use language that is common for performing artists I can honestly say that I left it all onstage. My first year back at St. Augustine Catholic High School flew by and I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I am involved with the school both as a teacher and a parent as my oldest child also completed his freshman year of high school.

It has been the roller coaster that Catholic school teachers come to expect and I wouldn't change a thing. There were so many great days with me not really having a tough day until the middle of the second semester. The tough days were never easy and there were some moments when it really weighed me down but with each situation I could see that it was both a moment for me to do all that I could for my colleagues and students who needed my help while also learning even more about what it means to work with young people in such a complex world.

Overall I am just thankful because it has been one of the best rides I had during my 22 years of teaching. My colleagues were simply amazing as I was welcomed immediately and most importantly, accepted as an equal without having to prove myself and/or playing some type of political game. This is because these wonderful peers of mine, who themselves are super talented and loving only cared about what needed to be done to best serve our community with little regard for who actually did it. I especially felt that from my colleagues in the theology department to welcomed me as one of their own from the very beginning. That was a great way to start the year and I can't put into words how much that meant to me.

My classes were great as I taught Sophomore Theology, Beginning Percussion and Freshmen Seminar. As always, my theology classes were amazing because young people always have great questions and discussion points. They certainly kept me on my toes in so many ways and I have always been grateful for such students because when they act in this way that means that they are really thinking about the things that we covered in class.

Freshmen Seminar was a great experience as well since the class focused on preparing young people for the high school experience. I was always happy to share insights I had from my memories of being a high school student while also letting them see the teacher's point of view on the many things that they will experience both as students and as teens going through this challenging time of their lives.

Finally, I did a whole lot of drumming at work this year and it was so fulfilling in so many ways. Of course being a professional drummer everyone knew that the class was very personal to me but to have my son in the class made it even more meaningful. Aside from that, seeing my students grow and have lots of fun doing it made it that much better. Aside from several performances at school we also traveled all over the Diocese of Tucson performing at feeder schools to raving reviews along with our big performance in Phoenix for the Catholic Schools Rally, which was an absolute blast. We were the only group to do an encore and we were honored to receive such a request.

On a personal level I can honestly say that I had a chance to work with some of the most amazing people ever. Aside from the things they did in the classroom they really cared about everyone at the school! For me I was most moved when I'd have a gig and then looked out and saw so many of them occupying the venue and cheering louder than anyone else who was there. Moments like that as well as the times we had sharing a meal or having a chat outside of class where we talked about our personal lives were very special to me. In that regard I really felt like I was a part of a Catholic community because I could really feel how much they cared about everyone who took part in these discussions.

As we approached the end of the year I had to deal with the expected emotions that come with saying goodbye to our graduating students. I am also very excited for them as I know they will go on to do some amazing things in the future. It's also hard to say goodbye to colleagues that I only had a chance to work with for a short time because they are such amazing people who I will miss very much. But life is about change and I know that God is leading them where He needs them right now and having seen them share their gifts at St. A's I know that they will continue to shine wherever they go.

I am also excited for the future as I have already met some of my new colleagues that will join us next school year while also receiving my teaching assignment. I will continue to teach the Freshmen Seminar class as well as Beginning Percussion. However, I am now scheduled to teach one section of Junior theology, which includes Morality and Sacraments, which are two classes I have taught several times in the past. I am also teaching each section of Senior Theology, which includes Christian Vocations and Apologetics. I am very excited about this because the first part of the CV class is going to have me sharing the teachings of Pope Saint John Paul II including his famous Theology of the Body. The Apologetics class allows me to get real philosophical with the students as we cover big topics that are common in debates over faith and religion. It's going to be a great joy as well as a great challenge but again, I am grateful for St. A's belief in what they think I can offer the students. Aside from that, these are branches of theology that I really enjoy so hopefully my enthusiasm will rub off on my students.

So here's to another great year of teaching and I will credit that to both my students and colleagues who made it such a great year for me. Now it's time for some rest before I prepare for yet another school year. I am looking forward to having a new group of students as well as my new classes. I am also looking forward to working again with my colleagues who are returning to St. A's as well as meeting my new colleagues and seeing all of the gifts they will bring to our community. Of course there will be new challenges that await me but I will meet them head on because I know that I won't have to face them alone.

For now, it's time to enjoy my summer.

Carlos Arthur Solorzano
@csolorzano18