Need Some Water

Growing up in grade school I was always looking forward to playing on the school teams. You had to wait until 5^th grade to go out for football. Christ the King was a touch league with other Catholic Schools in the area. It may have been touch football ….. but it could get rough.

In 7^th grade we thought we had a pretty good team so we challenged the town midget football team to a game of tackle. They thought they would walk on the field and just run us up and down the field. We had a great group of players and boy …. were they surprised? They thought they were playing a bunch of the Catholic School wusses.

We knew most of the kids on the other team for we had grown up with them playing town sports. Initially there was a lot of trash talk going both ways in a fun manner. However…I am pretty sure they had a new found respect after the game.

Standing on the sideline you always waited for your name to be called by the coach. Hutch, we need you to do a fast sweep around the outside. I was always waiting…I was ready. I specifically remember one game, standing on the sideline watching our team, it was a hot Saturday morning. The score was close, everyone was tired.

Finally …. it happened…my name was called… our coach says “ Hutch come here.” I hurried to put my helmet on and as I am running down to him I am desperately trying to buckle my chinstrap.

Yea coach…what do you need? “It’s getting near halftime, the players are tired and thirsty, why don’t you run up and get them some water for half time.”

My heart sank…I was ready but I was not deterred. I loved football and I was determined to hold my head up high. My time would come.

And it did come, in high school I played 3 sports….Football, Basketball and Track. I went out for football my junior year when I realized my career in basketball was waning. Although I loved basketball, the starting 5 when I was a freshman were all sophomores, I could see the writing on the wall, I needed to find a new sport to excel in. I looked to football and track.

I remember a basketball game against one high school in my sophomore or junior year. The other team was playing a man to man defense and I was playing the forward position. The defender kept trying to trash talk me… “Hey, you gotta jockey on,” he kept pushing me and throwing jabs at me as I was making cuts. This went on for the entire quarter. Trying not to get sucked in to his taunting….as I was going up for a rebound, he was just about hanging on my back, I jammed my elbow down his throat. I think he was caught a little off guard. As I made my way up the court he said…”Ohhhh, you shouldn’t have done that, now you really going to get it.” I just ignored him and continued to play.

A few minutes later I got the ball on the right side and I faked a jumper and went down the baseline and under the basket for a reverse layup. As I was extended and in the air the center from the other team came across the lane and punched me in the privates, and as I came down bellied over in pain, he proceeded to do an upper cut that landed on my left eye. He then pushed me and I fell into the stands and the crowd took a shot.

The ref called a foul, Hey, how about throwing them out of the game…

I could barely see and had to leave the game after the foul shot. You are probably asking; did I make the fouls shot?

I really don’t remember. I do remember that I had to wear a patch over my eye for 3 days and I had a slight limp.

What You Say

Have you ever been to Key West…

It is one of our favorite spots to visit…

 

Anyone who has dropped out of life….

Has relocated to Key West

 

Quite an eclectic crowd

 

Some years ago…

We were at a neighborhood party and I was speaking to a friend

He and his wife had just got back from Key West

I told them my wife and I were heading to Key West in a couple of weeks

 

He went on to say that while they were in the Keys

They had attended a Séance and…

It was unbelievable

 

A….. Séance….Really…

 

When Janet and I got to Key West, we decided to check it out

We found out where it was located

Walked around the neighborhood

(It was an older home)

We got up the courage to go up

And knocked on the door

 

After a brief discussion

We were told

The Séance begins at 7pm

We told them we would be there

 

The next question was…

Should we eat dinner before the Séance

Around 5pm and then head over

(There was a small restaurant down the street)

Or do we want to grab something to eat afterwards

 

We decided we would do dinner at 5…

 

After a nice dinner

We walk up the street and knocked on the door

As we walked in we saw about 10 people standing in the foyer

They all asked….

 

Are you guys here for the Séance…

 

We did some initial small talk…

 

Where are you from…

How long are you in the Keys…

And of course….

 

Is this your 1^st Séance…

 

Suddenly, the door opened,

We were asked to come into the dining area…

There was a large Dining Room table and…

We were asked to take a seat around the table

 

The Seancer welcomed us and introduced himself

 

He started by saying…

 

 I know you probably have a lot of questions about…

What can you expect from the Séance

 

Have you ever heard of Kreskin…

(He was a very famous mentalist in our day)

That is what I do…

 

I am a mentalist and I can read peoples’ minds….

And…. I can communicate with the spirit world

 

To give you an idea of what I can do

I want everyone to think of someone

Who is very special in your life

I want you to concentrate on their name and…

I am going to tell you who that person is

 

Ok….Is everybody ready…

Now I want you all to concentrate

 

He looks at my wife and asks…

 

What is your name…

I am Janet…

 

Have you thought of someone special in your life…

Yes, I have…

 

Please stand up and I will tell you who you are thinking of

Better yet…

 

He points to the person sitting next to Janet

 

Will you please stand up…

What is your name…Jim

 

Do you know Janet…

No, I just met her when we came here tonight

 

While Janet is thinking of her person, I am going to send it from my mind to Jim’s mind

And Jim is going to say the name of the person Janet is thinking about

 

Yeah right…

 

Before I reveal who Janet is thinking about…

I want Janet to do one thing…

 

Janet, in front of you will see a tray of ashes

Please pick up the tray of ashes and dump it onto the plate next to it

Now…I want you to take the napkin laying there

Open it up and place it over the ashes on the plate

 

Ok…Now we can get started

Janet… you are still thinking of your name

Think real hard and…

Jim standing next to you is going to say that name

 

Are you ready…

 

All of a sudden…

Jim blurts out the name Janet is thinking about

 

My wife shrieks….

 

How could he possibly know who I was thinking about…

 

Now we are coming to the best part…

 

Janet…was that the name you were thinking of…

Yes, It was my grandmother’s name

 

Ok…

Now I want you to take the napkin off the plate with the ashes

 

As she removes the napkin

Janet see the name of her grandmother

Spelled out with the ashes on the plate

 

It was spelled in the original Gaelic form

 

Bessie

 

The way her grandmother used to spell her name

 

We have never seen anything like that in our lives

 

How did he do it…

I don’t know

 

I could go into more detail about rest of the night

But all I can say…

 

We never saw any of these people before

We will never see them again

And that night will live in our minds forever

 

The spirits were active that night

It was draining on all of us

 

I am not a big fan of the dark…

 

All I can say is…

That there was a lot of energy flowing around the room

 

Good thing we ate at 5pm

We would not have been able to go dinner afterward

 

We all walked out of the house numb…

O Holy Night

How many of you like to sing?

When I was in 5th grade I decided to join the choir. We would meet at the school gym at 7:30 in the morning on Tuesday and Thursdays and once again on Friday nights in the choir loft at the front of the church. Our job was to sing the 11:45 am High Mass 3 Sundays a month and sing all the Religious Holidays.

I can always remember standing in the pew while I was singing and looking up at a special set of steps that was in the front of the choir loft. Christ the King had a men and boys choir and the men would be standing on the steps in front of us. At times, Mr. Curia would pick some of the choirboys to join the men up on the steps.

Were they the better singers….. I was never picked.

I always thought I was doing a good job…I was singing my heart out.

I must admit, I loved singing in the choir. My Mom would always say, I could hear your voice today, it sounded beautiful.

But Mom, you are not supposed to hear me, I am supposed to blend. Oh George, don’t be silly, you help make the choir better.

Isn’t she sweet….. That reminds me of the song….Don’t say nothing bad about my baby…. Mom was always positive and loving. Her children were the apple of her eye and I was her little boy.

Our big sing was always Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Not only were we able to stay up late on Christmas Eve but when I got home my parents would let me open 1 present before I went to bed. When I was in 8th grade Mr. Curia selected me to do the solo in front of the whole church at Midnight Mass. I sang….

O Holy Night.

What a thrill. It has to be one of my all-time favorite songs and still gives me the chills every time I hear it around Christmas. I still remember, Mr Curia saying… It is time George…

I slowly walked out to the front of the Church and then it was me and the organ. I heard the intro, I was a bit nervous, I took a slow deep breath and began to sing. I was in a complete zone and my voice just carried and took over….. I nailed it.

After Midnight Mass we all went back to my Grand Mom Hutch’s house. The kitchen table was full of coffee, tea and assortment of cakes and cookies. Besides my parents, several of my aunts and uncles also were there. My Grandmother said… “George you sounded beautiful tonight; can you sing O Holy Night again for us”….

You didn’t have to asked me twice. I smiled and started an accapella version for the family. What a thrill. I couldn’t stop smiling.

Looking back, I have a lot of great memories growing up and celebrating Christmas with the family.

May you and your family have a Merry Christmas and cherish the memories of being together. May they bring a smile to your face.

Yardstick

I went to a Catholic grade school. One of the most important things you do when you are in 2nd grade is study for your 1st communion.

Back in the day we had the Baltimore Catechism. To this day, I know many people whose faith has not grown beyond what they learned in the Baltimore Catechism….

You might remember some of the questions:

1….Who made us……God made us.

2…Who is God… God is the Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things.

3…..Why did God make us…. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.

To make your 1st Communion you had to not only study the Baltimore Catechism, but you were constantly quizzed on the questions and you had better know the answers.

One thing about Catholic Schools in the 1950s…. we had nuns. They were real sticklers when it came to learning your Catechism.

“I would like you to go home tonight and review all these questions and tomorrow we will have a quiz.”

I went home that night….I studied and highlighted, took notes and went over the questions and answers multiple times. I was going to be ready and know all the answers.

The next day, in class the nun decided to have an oral quiz. I was in the 1st row and she started asking the 1st question to the 1st person in my row. The 2nd question went to the person in the 2nd seat.

I sensed, there is a pattern going on here… Now let me see. I am in seat number 7, that means I am going to get question number 7. What is that question? I know I know the answer. What was that question? Let me take a sneak peek in my book.

Ahhhh. Question 7

“Mister Hutchinson. Will you please come up here.”
Why did you open the book….”

I did not open the book.

I was caught red handed. There was no lying my way out of this one…

“Come here Mister Hutchinson…
Stick your hand out.”

Wow….What is going on…. What have I got myself into…

At this point, she reaches back and on the ledge of the chalk board is a yardstick…

Uh Oh…

“I said stick out your hand…”

I’m thinking….What are you going to do with that yardstick…

Crack….

Not only did she hit my hand with the yardstick…

The yardstick breaks.

The nun is very upset now…

“Now look what you done…
you are going to have to buy me a new yardstick.”

What…

Not only am I experiencing pain…now you are going to make me pay you for your infliction…

Is this some sort of Purgatory….

“You have to bring in $2.00 tomorrow so I can buy a new yardstick.”

I am thinking…

Well the yardstick wouldn’t have broken if you didn’t hit me with it.

Lying…Is that a venial sin…

Can I still make my 1st Holy Communion…

For those of you worrying…

Yes I did receive my 1st Communion and I went on to be an altar boy in later years…

Dominus Vobiscum…..Et cum spiritu tuo…

Timetables

People always compliment my math skills. What they don’t know is the story behind my wizardry.

In 5th grade I had Mr Costigan. If you ever acted up in Mr Costigan’s class, he would give you an assignment. Do the timetables 1-10…25 times and bring them in tomorrow. That was how my year started out.

Back then I always a little bit antsy…I had trouble sitting still in my seat. I was also nosey and I liked to talk…

“Mr Hutchinson….let’s pay attention back there.”

Well as the year progressed…so did the number of timetables I had to write…

“Mr Hutchinson…do the timetables 1-10…100 times and bring them to me tomorrow before class.”

It got to a point…. if I had any spare moments…even when I was not in trouble… I was writing timetables. I knew it was only a matter of time.

In fact, I had so many timetables in storage that I sold them to other less unfortunate students who met Mr Costigan’s wrath. You need 25 or 50 of them? Here I got plenty stashed. Just give me $.25 cents a page. I’m just gonna keep on writing anyway.

Well, I made it thru 5th grade and my math skills increased dramatically. Ask me a multiplication question and I knew the answer right off the top of my head.

Guess who I had the pleasure of teaching me in 7th grade….

Good Ole Mr Costigan…

“Mr Hutchinson…I see we can pick up right where we left off. You might as well just start writing…I know you are long overdue and probably missed me…”

What a sense of humor on that guy… You gotta love Mr Costigan.

So I began 7th grade…preoccupied with trying to get ahead of the curve. Mr Hutchinson please write the 1-10 timetables 100 times and bring them into me tomorrow. (He didn’t even start at 25, for I was a veteran. He went right to the 100 category). One time I reached into my school bag and said….”Here ya go….100 timetables”…He just laughed and said…. “better keep writing.”

Well, I did make it thru 7th grade and again my math skill increased dramatically.

Did I tell you I won the math award at 8th grade graduation?

And the math award for all around excellence in math goes to George Hutchinson.

I almost fell out of my seat.

Really…A math award….Thank you Mr Costigan…

Thought for the Day

I like to start each day reading…
An inspirational thought
It helps to provide a little guidance…
And continues to nudge me in the right direction

It can be so easy to get caught up in our daily routines…

Do you find yourself running around…
Constantly putting out fires…
Pulling you away from what you do best…

Being you…

How can we connect with the inner you…

Many of us are so busy being the person
Everyone wants us to be…
We do not have the time to be…
Who we really are…

We all have been blessed with a special talent
That is what makes us unique

Identifying that talent can be difficult

We are always told to look inside

What am I supposed to be looking for…

I close my eye and try to slow down
And my mind starts racing…

How do I try to slow down…

I start each day with an inspirational thought

They serve as a reinforcement…
And coaches me to stay on
The right path

They help to capture
How or what I am feeling at that moment
And many times…
They just bring a smile to my face

When I first started working after college
I had a great uncle who used to call me everyday

He would say…

“George…take out your day timer and write this down
Here is the word for the day”…

He would give me a word with its’ definition and say…

“OK…read it back to me”…

I always admired the fact
That he took time out of his day
To think of me…

I have been forever grateful

I have used the thought for the day
As my vehicle to grow

About 5 years ago
I started sending out my thought for the day

At first…
It was only sent to our children
Then I started sharing it with
Our nieces and nephews…

As my confidence grew…
I expanded it…
Sending it to friends and people I have known
Thru the years

I have received great feedback from sharing…

These thoughts…

People say…

Thank you for sending out your thought for the day
I look forward to it…
It normally makes me stop and think
And many times… I just smile

I saw your thought for the day and…
It came at a perfect time

I look forward to getting your thought for the day…
Do you mind if I share it with a friend…

Could you add my son and daughter to your…
Thought for the day…
I read it to them all the time

I have people thank me for my consistency
In sharing these thoughts
During the week

I have also had people say…

How many of these thoughts do you have…

I guess I can’t please everyone

I only know that each thought for the day
Has helped me to grow as an individual…

It continues to center me

Life is a journey and…
I am embracing each day

We are all blessed…

PS: Should you like to be included in my Thought for the Day email, just hit reply and I will be glad to send them to you.

The Hand of God

I walked into a coffee house the other day
And saw a friend of mine
After chatting for a few minutes
He said…

I love your newsletters
Keep them coming
In fact I used one of your newsletters
To help support a conversation I had recently

I must say
I was surprised yet humbled…

Several years ago a close friend told me…

God is where your shadow falls…

Without realizing it…

We are always touching people…
Making an impression with
The things we say…
The things we do…

My Pop used to say…

Be careful…
People see you before they hear you
You only get one chance to make
A good first impression

I have always carried those words to heart

We happen to take so much of what we do
For granted…

Have you ever been feeling low….
And someone took the time to…
Just listen…
Possibly offer words of encouragement

Have you ever needed a helping hand…
And someone turns up and says…
How can I help you

Have you received a call
From an old friend or acquaintance…
Hey…How are you doing
I was just thinking of you
I wanted to touch base and
See how you are

Listening
Sharing
Giving of yourself
Service to others

This is the hand of God in motion
We are blessed…
To be able to bring it to others

Thank you Jay for the kind words…

Every Day is a Gift…..

Check out the link to our new book…

Beach Etiquette

Available on Amazon
https://beachetiquettebook.com/

A perfect gift for family and friends ….

Thank you for your referrals

The Magic Bank Account

Recently, a friend reached out to me and sent the below message. Thank you, John, for thinking of me. I would like to share it with you…

George, This is you!

John

THE AUTHOR IS NOT KNOWN.   IT WAS FOUND IN THE BILLFOLD OF
COACH PAUL BEAR BRYANT, ALABAMA, AFTER HE DIED IN 1982.

The Magic Bank Account

Imagine that you had won the Following *PRIZE* in a contest:

Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400 In your private account
for your use…..
However, this prize has Rules:
The set of Rules:

1. Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from
you.

2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account.

3. You may only spend It.

4. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another
$86,400 for that Day.

5. The bank can end the game without warning; at any time, it can say,

Game Over!” It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?

You would buy anything and everything you wanted right?  Not only
for yourself, but for all the people you love and care for.  Even for
people you don’t know because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on
yourself, right?

You would try to spend every penny, and use it all, because you knew
it would be replenished in the morning, right?

ACTUALLY, This GAME is REAL…   Shocked ???
YES!

Each of us is already a winner of this *PRIZE*. We just can’t seem to see
it.

The PRIZE is *TIME*

1. Each morning we awaken to Receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of Life.

2. And when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is not credited to us.

3. What we haven’t used up that day is forever lost.

4. Yesterday is forever gone.

5. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your
account at any time WITHOUT WARNING…

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?

Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.
Think about it and remember to enjoy every second of your life, because
time races by so much quicker than you think.

So take care of yourself, be Happy, love deeply and enjoy life!

Here’s wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day…
Start spending….

“DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT GROWING OLD!”

SOME PEOPLE DON’T GET THE PRIVILEGE!

 

Every Day is a Gift

It Is a Small World After All

I walked onto the beach the other day

After setting up my chair

I went over to one of the guys

I have met on the beach

Over the past couple of years

 

It was the 1^st time I have seen him

On the beach this year

 

I said…

It’s good to see you again

Are you ready for

Another great summer…

 

At that point

I felt a little embarrassed

I stopped and said…

 

I’m sorry…

But I forget your first name

I’m George Hutch

 

He just chuckled and said…

 

Just call me JC

That’s always easy to remember

 

We got into some small talk

And then he started talking about the beach…

 

The beach is already getting a little crowded…

I can’t believe it…

People are just plopping down

Sitting on top of each other…

 

Look at all the beach over there

 

And those people going into the water…

The life guards are 2 blocks away…

 

What are they thinking…

They are putting other people at risk…

 

I casually said…

I think you will like the book I just wrote…

 

You wrote a book…

What’s the title…

 

Beach Etiquette…

 

He turns to his wife…

 

Hey KC…

Come over here

 

Remember that book you just bought me…

 

Beach Etiquette

 

Here’s the guy who wrote it

 

I love that book

I was always thinking I should write a book about

Beach Etiquette

 

You did a good job

 

I was sitting drinking my coffee the other day

And I read a couple of chapters…

 

I found myself laughing

It’s pretty funny…

 

I love the art work

 

Wow…

How about that…

 

It is a small world after all…

 

In case you are interested

Check out our website…

 

https://beachetiquettebook.com/

 

Several people have told me

They bought a copy

And after reading it…

 

They went back and bought more copies

To give to their friends

 

I’ll take that as a compliment

 

I am glad people are enjoying the book

 

If you would like a few laughs

I invite you to read the book

Leave a review on Amazon…

 

The buzz is out there…

This is a grassroots campaign

 

We need your help to keep it going

 

We can all brush up on our Beach Etiquette

Heading to the Beach…

Hey…have you read my new book …Beach Etiquette?

If not, you should pick up a copy.

It’s great summer reading.

Designed to be the next bestselling coffee table book.

Below are some snippets of the reviews coming in:

• Wait to you read it and allow yourself to chuckle. This book has a
special place on my coffee table
• Such a fun, easy read filled with beautiful illustrations reminding each
one of us on how exciting it is to spend time at the beach,
• It is an amazing collection of what really goes on. It will make you
laugh, it will help you remember those days when you went through many
of the experiences in the book yourself. George did a great job.
• A must-have for any friend of the environment, beach bum, or sun-soaked
surfer
• Most enjoyable book for Beach Lovers
• I loved the illustrations! And the observations…
• Good book Great memories

This is a grassroots campaign and we need your help to spread the word…

If you have a friend who loves the beach…share this email…

We sold over 100 copies in the 1st 30 days. We are hoping we can count on you to hit our next goal of breaking 200 copies.

It makes a great birthday gift for friends / relatives or…

Just a kind gesture…..

I was thinking of you and knew you would enjoy this book…

Visit our website to see a sample of our illustrations and layout…

https://beachetiquettebook.com/

The book is now available on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble

https://www.amazon.com/Beach-Etiquette-George-Henry-Hutchinson/dp/1979773386

Thank you all and hope you enjoy our new book and have a great summer…

Every Day is a Gift

Thank you for your referrals