Today is Grandmom's birthday...Happy Birthday Mom! We celebrated yesterday with the sibs and some grandchildren. Lots of food...lots of fun....love you Mom!
One grandchild who was unavailable for the party was Buddy. He was relegated to his bullpen as he sat and watched his team fold in the final game of the series. Like last week, the team lost in the final inning and could not complete a series sweep. A very scary moment occurred when one of the players was hit in the mouth by a fast ball. Unlike our very lucky Buddy who sustained a near miss two weeks ago, this guy was not as fortunate. He went down and to the hospital. He has a broken jaw and wired mouth. His teeth have been altered and in layman's terms...he's a mess. He stayed in the hospital as the team traveled home. The trainer (who lent Buddy his hat) stayed with him until his parents could fly into town. Talk about frightening.....He is absolutely in my thoughts and prayers....
As the kids grow older, the competition is much more fierce. The fast balls are really fast...the hits are home runs and if the players are not gifted with athleticism...they will be injured....like the player above and Buddy when he was hit by a line drive. We are no longer playing stick ball in the street..this is big business.
This thought leads me to think about kids who desire to become major league players. I love the dreams and ambitions. Don't all kids want to pitch in the World Series or catch the winning ball in a crucial series? Sure...that's one of the American dreams. However, as they creep toward this elusive goal, the stakes are amplified. They have to be in top condition....top athletes...constantly working to improve their skills. As the kids aged, some of them could no longer keep up with the rest of the team. I guess that this is like the survival of the fittest. If they leave these kids in games, they can be injured. Even the best athletes can be injured.
So where does this leave some of the kids who want to play professional sports and do not have the athleticism to do it? Well, their lives are going to be just fine. They already have a work ethic and ambition....so, I envision them as brain surgeons, engineers, chefs, physical therapists, authors, teachers, nurses, lawyers, and so on. They will be able to care for these crazy athletes when they come to the hospital or need rehabilitation. We all have our own gifts...it's how we use the talents that we are given. It is no surprise that I will never play at Wimbledon...so be it...but I was once there.... as a tourist...
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