And so, where did I leave off? Oh yeah....I think that it was the disaster game during the week. The team's starting pitcher had major troubles finding the plate and the opposing team rung up the score as fast as someone could yell: "play ball"...Naturally, when the team begins to hemorrhage, they call in the doctor to fix it. In the past, it had been my leftie who had been able to shut rallies down. However, as he continues to make progress post surgery, his handiwork is not as sharp as it had been. This is not to say that with more active pitching, he won't be better than ever, but the reality is that he has not thrown from the mound for over a year. So, he is a bit "rusty".....
And he was brought into the game and saw two batters then was taken out. OK, he was in...but he was salt-eee after being taken out. His demeanor got sour and I was glad that there was half a country separating us from the tirade:
"I hate baseball"
"I have not enjoyed baseball since high school"
"All this work for nothing..."
"The coach hates me"
"No one understands me"
"Why am I so miserable..."
And on and on and on and on.......
It really does not matter what we say, he needs to vent. Yet there comes a point in the tirade that he is off base and needs a swat. Yo, dude.....dad works from 6 am to 8 pm 7 days a week. That's a person who works hard...and you are complaining about a game? Come on...get a grip.
Oh yeah, right....I am sitting at the computer trying to catch up from a few months of work, late with deadlines, and taking care of a home.....hmmm...you're right. No one understands you.
What you don't see is the blessing that you have been bestowed with. You have been given the body, mind, and talent to pitch at a very high level. By scoffing at the process, you are in many ways being ignorant about your blessings. In other words...get over it. This is your dream. Make the most of it. A team is not about one person, it is about 20 +. You are one of many, so get over the idea that they should be asking you what to do next. You are a player...a college kid....you are traveling the country and seeing all kinds of things that people only dream about. It is time to re-develop that attitude of gratitude. 'cause no one wants to hear a petulant player complaining about the winds in Texas while the rest of us are shoveling snow and punching their time cards looking for a pay check to pay the rent or mortgage.
We are done...finitio...get a grip. It is time to see things as they really are. You are playing a game. This is temporary. If you do not enjoy the moment, it will be over before you know it. Then the reality of life settles in as you graduate, look for a job, pay rent, furnish a house, and put braces on the kids' teeth. You will be mowing a lawn and running to soccer practice as opposed to looking for a Chipotle to buy dinner. The happy hours will be happy minutes as you seek to take a deep breath in as you spackle the hole in the wall from the time the kids were fighting and their heads went through it.
Yep, so this is the last time that I will tell you this....life is a journey...a marathon...not a sprint...breathe deeply...look around at the guys who have your back...and say a prayer of thanksgiving. You are one blessed kid...now appreciate it...dogonit!
One last thing.....on my Salada tea bag, I read a little sentence that I never forgot: "The secret to happiness is not doing what you like, but liking what you do...." Very profound for tea, doncha think?
Later!
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