(This was written by me on Nick Punto Day this past February. I hope it gives you all a little something to hold on to during this, our day of shared reflection, loss and rebirth. GET MONEY GET PAID LNP. GET MONEY FOREVER.)
The inspirational poem Footprints was initially written about Nick Punto. Here's the original text:
One night I dreamed I was walking across the beach with Nick Punto. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene, I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was only one.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish or watching the Twins play the Yankees in the postseason year after miserable goddamn year, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to Nick Punto,
"You promised me Nick, that if I followed you, you would get after it with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life, there has been only one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?"
Nick Punto replied, "The years when you've seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I was sliding headfirst into things. Kinda figured that was obvious."