Hang in there, Vinny

There are plenty of things that piss me off. And writing about them allows me to let off steam - hence the title of this blog.

Yes, our state governor is a portly bully who clearly was terrorized by a teacher as a kid - hence his vendetta against teachers.

Yes, our town council is run by some of the most myopic people the good Lord ever put on this Earth, cutting the school budget while having the nerve to say "but don't blame us for the cuts!!"

Yes, the North Koreans are nothing but a bunch of thugs who torpedo a South Korean ship and then threaten war "if there are repercussions". They pick a fight and then they threaten war??

Yes, Jerry Manuel has next to no clue as to how to make in-game decisions, despite seeming like a heck of a nice guy.

But in the big scheme of things, all of this is small potatoes. Will my salary be frozen or even cut? Probably. Will the North Koreans go to war with anyone and everyone? Probably not. Will Jerry Manuel get fired? Eventually (they all do, by the way).

Nothing here is terribly significant. But just recently so many of us who live in Edison were struck by a blow that really puts all of the bullshit of the world into perspective. The kind of thing that really does piss me off.

One of the nicest young men I've ever known - Vincent Desario - was walking along the street in Wildwood, New Jersey with his teammates after participating in a college golf tournament. One of the young men stumbled, Vinny laughed and the next thing you know, some bat-wielding, homeless, illegal immigrant stops his bike, gets off, and smashes Vinny's head in.

Why? Because he thought they were laughing at him.

Just like that, this young man's life has become irreparably harmed, not to mention the pain and suffering for his family and his friends, both near and far.

This young man is in a deep coma now while everyone, and I mean everyone I think I've ever known, is praying for the swelling in his brain to go down, for the infection in his lungs to clear up, and for Vinny to open his eyes and smile that winning smile again.

This young man has never harmed anyone. This young man pulled himself up and managed to graduate with honors from Middlesex County College, although his injuries prevented him and his family from being able to attend this graduation.

This young man is fighting for his life - literally.

That is reality. That's the really important news. That's what really matters in the here and now.

Governors come and go. Town councils come and go. Crazed dictators come and go. Mets managers come and go. But really great kids like Vinny - they come along once in a great while.

Hang in there, son. Don't give up. Keep fighting. And we'll keep believing. . .in miracles.