Much like watching family members and friends grow older, it’s heart-wrenching watching cherished parts of your childhood slip away.

Such was the case recently, when I stopped by the Lions Oval in Orillia to catch the finals of the Orillia Minor Lacrosse Association Girls’ Field Lacrosse House League program.

In the company of cherished friends Darlene and Jim ‘Whitey’ Wilkie, while watching the action, I felt a sense of calm come over me.

It surely is the calm before the storm.

In the not so distant future, construction equipment will descend on the property, as construction of Orillia’s newest elementary school begins.

And so, the peace and tranquility that Lions Oval caretaker, the late Johnny Watson felt on those days when he cut the outfield lawn or raked the infield diamond will be gone forever.

That sadness will be balanced by the joy local children will feel, as they eagerly attend their first days in a brand new school.

I think it has something to do with the fact I’m getting older and long for something of the past, but as ratty and torn as it was, I will miss the Lions Oval.

It was my playground during my early days in Orillia, a far cry from Queen’s Park in Glasgow, Scotland, where I peddled my tricycle as a child.

The Oval was where I picked up my first baseball bat, tossed my first baseball and picked up my first paying job. I gathered up Orillia Majors foul balls for Mr. Watson (I was too young to dare call him Johnny).

The Penetang Street Pirates were founded on that piece of property, starring yours truly, Jamie McIsaac, Paul Campbell, Todd Everett, Grant Faris and any number of other neighbourhood kids.

As short as it was, my minor baseball career never touched base at The Oval. Those games were played at what was known in those days as McKinnell Square.

The Oval was where I met Baseball Hall of Fame members Bob Feller and Bob Gibson and snapped a treasured photo of Toronto Blue Jays favourite Ernie Whitt.

The same night as Whitt appeared in Orillia, I watched famed Orillia slo-pitch player and power hitter Mike McColeman rocket numerous balls over the roof of the Orillia Community Centre onto Penetang Street.

It was on that property that I met later Orillia Majors legends Curly Cockburn, Tex Howard, Jerry Udell, Nick Owen, Pat Hennessy and so many more.

It was there where I damaged my teeth and ended up taking many dollars out of my dad’s wallet for dental work.

Simply put it was home and the safest place any seven-year-old could hope to have.

It’s just so sad that city officials dragged their feet for so long determining what the future use of the property would be.

In many ways, it was like watching the life being drained out of a close friend or family member and not having any control over the situation.

But now the end is near for Orillia’s longtime baseball park.

As I drove off the property, I took a moment to stop the Honda and take a quick look over my shoulder.

One last Kodak moment on a mental roll of film stretching back decades.

I’m happy for the children who will get good use of the school, but still feel like a little bit of me will soon be gone.

But the memories are there and those can’t be taken away.

Memories of The Lions Oval, an old girl who served her city proud.