Holy Cow, Black Cats and Billy Goats

About the Book

This work was sparked by the Chicago Cubs’s 2016 world championship win. Joel M. Levin felt instant joy of victory after waiting seventy-one years to see it happen. This was quickly followed by a stirring of memories and emotions going back to 1945 when he saw his first ball game. He calls the memories, the treasures of his mind, and shares them with the reader. They include impressions of the world at large; details of his inner life; and the fortunes, fables, and foibles of his favorite baseball team. The story starts with a young boy whose family experiences early America with both depression and an oncoming war, but he is able to start on a lifetime journey as a loyal Chicago Cubs fan. In truth, the book is not a memoir, as few people are interested in the life of an ordinary man. It is more an examination of life as time moved on and how the author experienced it. It is not a pure or objective sports book nor is it analytical, critical, or historical. Once again, it is from the vantage point of a fan. It is called a trilogy, a combined tale of the world at large, the impact on the author, and the destiny of the Chicago Cubs on the long, winding path to becoming the best team in baseball. The work includes references to music of the time and is peppered with poetic expressions; humor; and a creative look at curses, superstitions, and symbolization. The story begins with a young fan who sits in the bleachers and, in time, graduates to a premier seat near the Cubs’s dugout. Every Cubs fan in Joel Levin’s age group has a unique story to tell. The best part is they reached the finish line together, seeing their lovable losers as the last team standing. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle” (Albert Einstein).

About the Author

Joel M. Levin is both physician and musician. He has published contributions in medical journals and a memoir of his love and life with his wife before her passing. A great deal of his life and work have been an attempt at balance. Medical care, to Joel, involves not just what modern medicine has to offer but also what he offers in terms of compassion and understanding. In the world at large, he has found time to work with self-help groups, and his favorite charities involve young children with malignancy and the protection of animals. He finds emotions are better expressed in the form of poetry. He currently lives in a suburb near Chicago with a daughter and his loving pet. Aside from reading a great deal of nonfiction, he is an avid sports fan. Here is a quote that more eloquently describes what he has searched to be: To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. —Ralph Waldo Emerson