The Best and the Worst

By Doug Geed

  People often ask if I enjoy my job and the answer is without question yes! Another frequent question is how someone gets to have such a job. The answer is complicated. But to become a journalist I think you need two very basic things -- a tremendous interest and curiosity in just about everything and a desire to tell a story.

   I just got back from Washington D.C. where I covered two different stories I'm working on. And yes, going on assignments out of state, even though it means temporarily separating yourself from your wife and children, is part of what makes this job exciting.

   The stories could not be any more different -- while one dealt with the best life has to offer, the other deals with the worst.

   I'll start with the fun one. Every year, President Bush (the first Little Leaguer ever to become President from what I understand) holds a T-Ball tournament on the White House lawn. T-Ball, in case you don't know, involves 5-year-old boys and girls in their very first Little League assignment. The ball is placed on a "t" or rubber stand and the kids just smack the ball off of that.

   50 kids are invited to play -- one from each state and this year, New York's representative was a 5-year-old boy from Dix Hills named Shay Rubenstein, chosen, like all of the other participants, by random after being nominated by their local Little League, in this case, Half Hollow Hills.

    It was a tremendous event. Literally the backyard of the White House was transformed into a mini-ballpark, ESPN commentators Mike and Mike did the "play-by-play," Hall of Famer Frank Robinson was among the baseball greats taking part, and, of course, President Bush led it all -- opening the ceremonies at home plate and then sitting in the stands with his wife for the game.

  Each player then got their picture taken with the President and got an autographed baseball from him. It was a terrific event to cover, just pure fun and you couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of the antics of the kids.

     We're putting together a story on the event that will air this Thursday, June 24th, starting in the 8 am hour. I hope you can watch.

   The next day, we went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to interview Chris Levi, a bright,  articulate and passionate Holbrook resident. Chris' young life took a dramatic and tragic turn in March of this year when the Army corporal lost both of his legs and severely injured his arm in an explosion in Iraq.

   He'll be in rehab at Walter Reed for more than a year. But he remains so energetic and optimistic, telling us he has no regrets about anything and stills feels passionately about being a soldier and carrying out the mission of helping the Iraqi people.

  Still, it's sad to watch Chris doing his physical therapy -- learning to walk all over again with prosthetic legs. Just 24 hours before, I was laughing watching the intense little faces of 5-year-olds playing baseball literally in the backyard of the President of the United States while he was watching from the stands. I wonder how many little 5-year-olds will grow up to serve our country in the future and how many of them might end up hurt or killed. And it also drives home the point that without our soldiers, scenes like the one on the White House lawn aren't possible. I often speak at various events and usually, at the beginning, I take a moment and ask everyone to remember the men and women who are overseas and away from their families in a strange land so that we can enjoy our families in safety and in freedom.

     So whether you're at the beach, having a backyard barbecue or just lying around in the sun, you should also take a moment to thank those serving in the military, remember those who lost their lives protecting our freedom and salute people like Chris Levi, whose powerful passion for his country changed his life forever.

  By the way, we'll bring you Chris' story in a special report airing Tuesday, July 29th.