The Greatest

"Little boy in a baseball hat stands in the field with his ball and bat.  Says, I am the greatest player of them all.  Put his bat on his shoulder and he tosses up the ball and the ball goes up and the comes down.  Swings his bat all the way around the worlds so still he can hear the sound.  The baseball falls to the ground.  Now the little boys doesn't say a word, picks up his ball, he is undeterred.  Says, I am the greatest there has ever been. and he grits his teeth and he tried it again."  Kenny Rogers

 I thought about this song when my sister posted a picture of my nephew coaching his son in baseball.  You might ask why my nephew?  Well because my nephew was one of the best baseball players in the area.  He could throw you out at home plate from the outfield and not even break a sweat.  He was so tall when he pitched his hand almost touched home plate when he let go of the ball.  To see him coaching his own son makes me smile because I know my great nephew is going to be one of the best from his school, just like his daddy.

"He makes no excuses, he shows no fear.  He just closes his eyes and listens to the cheers."  My nephew ain't skeered of nothing, as they say.  He's one of the sweetest young men I know that loves kids and old people.  He never made an excuse if he didn't play good but we always knew because he had a temper that showed up every now and then when he didn't.   I'm not sure if he ever heard us cheering for him but if he didnt it wasnt because we weren't loud enough,  especially if he was pitching and the ump wasn't calling strikes.  I'm thinking he probably closed his eyes a few times hoping we would go away.  But of course we didn't, we just got louder.  LOL

This song makes me think this little boy is outside alone, throwing the ball up and trying to hit it.  My idea of the picture is he's doesn't ever hit the ball but it doesn't deter him from trying and trying. He's making his own story up as he goes even when the moon is bright, his mama is calling him for supper and he misses one last time...strike three.  Even though he strikes out and starts home he still thinks he's the greatest of them all, but now he's the greatest pitcher.  I can just see him now strutting home for supper telling his mama what a great pitcher he is because he struck out the batter over and over.

Talk about turning the story around, this little boy certainly did.   Kinda like my nephew.  Things happened, he left college and baseball and went to work.  But like I said earlier this kid ain't skeered of nothing , so he's taking life by the horns as they say.  He got married, has two kids and he's going back to college.  It's hard for him at times I'm sure, but it's not stopping him.  He's doing it all and he's doing a dang good job of it.  His little girl is a daddy's girl, his son will be one of the best  (because he's got one of the best teaching him) and his wife just got her real estate license.  So what more could a guy ask for?

Lesson for today?  I just learned one myself.   When life isn't what we thought it should be don't quit.  Don't get stuck trying to be a certain way or do a particular thing.  Always have a Plan B if Plan A doesn't work.    "Life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off...the right pitch will come, but when it does, be prepared to run the bases."  Rick Maksian

Now go ahead, suck it up, put on your best cleats and PITCH the heck out of life.  It might just end up being a way better life than your original plan.