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Health & Fitness

And here I am, 13 years later...

The introductory post to Danny Kerth's blog about the significance of Brentwood to him before he leaves for college in August.

I graduated. Those two words probably won’t be overly important to most of the readers of this blog. You’ve all been there before, possibly a very long time ago. For me, receiving my diploma wasn’t something I had to be nervous about; I’ve maintained a strong grade-point average and created a good reputation to my name around my former school, Chaminade College Preparatory. It’s the simple fact that I graduated. With that occurrence comes a strong statement – I’m leaving Brentwood in three months.

Brentwood, MO, and I have an interesting relationship, you see. The small town has been my home for the past 13 years after I lived in University City for the previous five. Brentwood is where all of my significant memories have been made. My home is better known, according to my mom, as “Phi Kappa Kerth.” It’s rare to stop by and not see one of my friends during your visit. But that’s just the kind of family my mom and I are. My friends certainly aren’t upset about that, either.

Over the next few months, this blog will cover certain topics, including specific memories, influential people and significant places that have caused my time in Brentwood to be memorable. Truly, I feel that to cover the extensive people, places and events that have shaped me in Brentwood, I would need to write a blog every day for the next five months.

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That’s the thing about Brentwood. I know for a fact that when I leave for Mizzou in a few months, the small-town feeling won’t exist for me anymore. But what actually confuses me is the fact that Brentwood is a small town, but I never have felt that it is a small town. If we all looked back at Brentwood 13 years ago, before I was a resident, and compared it to the present, that progression would be unrivaled.

I tried to think about one memory that simply shined brighter than the rest. That was impossible. But for some reason, the one that stuck out to me occurred on the baseball field at Tilles Park. I believe it was my fifth grade year, and my friends and I, students at Immacolata at the time, were practicing on a Tuesday, just like every other Tuesday during the summer. The routine involved taking grounders and fly balls, a little batting practice, and of course, quite a bit of running. Our coach, Mr. Pat Cantwell, took that routine and made us love the game.

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There’s always been one practice that stuck out to me, much like the upper lip of Mr. Cantwell’s son, Patrick, at the end of it. A routine fly ball was hit to Patrick in the outfield. Though a catcher, Patrick was (and still is) a fundamentally sound player, so a pop-up to center field seemed to be nothing out of his reach. He tracked the ball, lifted his glove up and supported it with his throwing hand. The entire infield, outfield and joggers around the park heard a pop when the ball descended. It wasn’t the natural pop of a ball glove, and down went Patrick.

One ice pack later and a day on the mend, Patrick showed up to my house with Daffy Duck’s mouth. And that very same moment, we were able to laugh about it. I knew from the moment that ball connected with Patrick’s face that I would always remember that sound, the “ooh” that followed, and the sprint of Mr. Cantwell to the outfield.

I’m eight years older now. I don’t play baseball on an actual team anymore. But every now and then, Patrick, my other friends and I go up to Tilles Park and do the same routine we would at those Immacolata practices, running not included. Tilles is a place of relaxation, of reminiscing and of peace. It’s one of those go-to spots in Brentwood that I always know involves a good time.

That’s what I hope to accomplish with this blog. The significance of this town is overly evident to me, and the people in it have always been nothing short of hospitable. From restaurant owners to parents, I know that thanks to the people who have been with me as I’ve grown, I’ll miss this place when I go off to college. I might as well give them some recognition before I leave.

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