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Saturday, March 16, 2013

Baseball Life - Looking for the Sign

I spend my life, 7 innings at a time, watching the complicated game of baseball. Because the breaks between action are frequent and often prolonged, my mind starts to wander. I ponder deep subjects such as what I can cook for dinner, the name of the parent I've sat next to for years but can't remember, and baseball's parallels to life.

For all of its strategy and rigorous adherence to routine, the game of baseball mirrors the condition of humanity. It is a struggle against failure. Coaches keep statistics to determine how well each player is holding up in the face of forces of defeat. The numbers generally sober any player too high on himself. Failure is usually in the lead.

But one advantage baseball has over our everyday existence is the nature of the approach. When I wake up start my day, it's total guesswork as to my next move. I plot my own course with little outside input and a heap of faith. Even when I look for signs, I get too preoccupied to notice them. But baseball players, as compared to me, are darn lucky. They know what to do next. They look for the sign and they receive it pretty clearly. I wish life was like that.

Of course, coaches and life are equally punitive when they give a sign and it's missed.

5 comments:

Francene Stanley said...

The comparison between life and the game of baseball is a good one, considering all the defeats we face daily. Rather like another comparison: Life is like a box of chocolates. When I sat in class for Religious Instruction, I remember the message that life is like a stone throuwn into a lake. Every action spreads in the form of ripples to affect the surrounding water.

Shelly said...

I like Francene's response. Great post, Lucy! Great analogy.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

Jo said...

I know nothing about baseball so cannot compare. I do like "Life is like a box of chocolates" though, I thought it clever when I first heard it.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

William Kendall said...

I've always liked how in a game, anything of a million possibilities can happen. A pitcher having a bad season can throw a perfect game. A home run marathon can break out. The worst team in the league can win against the best team. And you never know what might happen.

Rather like life itself...

Kittie Howard said...

My hub is a HUGE baseball fan! (RedSox Nation) Through the years, he's made a similar comparison to baseball. I have to admit, there's a lot of truth to what both of you say.