Our Time

This is the age of all kinds of miracles and every manner of horror. Everything changes and at such a pace that we cannot possibly keep up, not with all of it. Pick your subject -- it's exploding under the pressure of a mountain of new information.

From the profound to the sublime to the trivial, the pattern is unmistakable.

Let's start with the trivial (to most people), i.e., baseball. Tonight, for the first time since 1962 (that is 45 years ago) the New York Yankees are in San Francisco to play the (formerly) New York Giants, which for the past 49 years have been based here in the city by the Bay, but that still is not close to half of the franchise's rich history.

Between them, the Giants and the Yankees embody a major portion of U.S. baseball history. When it comes to home runs, for example, here are the current top five players of all time:

Hank Aaron 755
Barry Bonds 748 (Giants)
Babe Ruth 714 (Yankees)
Willie Mays 660 (Giants)
Sammy Sosa 600

The Yankees are, by far, the most successful baseball franchise of all time; the Giants own baseball's greatest moment -- the "shot heard 'round the world" -- Bobby Thompson's HR in 1952.

So, that is what is happening in this city tonight -- the Yankees are playing the Giants here in the prettiest park anywhere. (I'll watch the game on TV; I have not been out to a single game this year.)

My point is that this kind of event could not even be imagined a few years ago, but in baseball, like in everything else, change is the name of the game. (Sorry for that cliche.)

***

Wanna know one thing I love about living in San Francisco?

Today, after riding the subway and taking a cab to the place where my car was being fixed, I ended up having a long conversation with the guys there, both of whom happen to love flowers.

I explained my mission, to find some green flowers, in case they turn out to be useful in the table settings I will be designing this summer. These guys immediately told me about three green flowers -- a carnation, a hydrangia, and a cala lily.

Then they sent me on my way with my newly cleaned and fixed automobile, plus the three fresh new carnations pictured above, though none of them are green.

:-(

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