Tonight I had the opportunity to see the play Take Me Out. If you’ve never seen it, it is about a major league baseball player who comes out as a homosexual during his career and the effects this had on his team, the sport, and his personal relationships. I love this play for its relationship with the game of baseball. Towards the end of the first act, one of the main characters, Mason Marzac, compares the game of baseball to democracy. The relationship between the series of three’s, the no clock holding things into a limited commitment, and the juries that guard each base that can change a call at a whim.
Later he talks about how in baseball, when there is a home run, the batter will still run the bases, but as a trot or promenade. We already know the outcome. We know the ball is never coming back, but the bases still get ran. In baseball time doesn’t matter so the players have the time to celebrate in the middle of the game. They have that opportunity. This opportunity often gets missed in daily life. We don’t always celebrate our victories when they occur and we need to because it gives the people around us a chance to celebrate with us and show their support. This also motivates competition and if there is no competition, then we don’t move forward. Competition allows for advancement in science, art, music, technology and about every other forum that assists in a society moving forward.
So, the focus of this is celebrate the victories and having some sort of competetive drive is healthy. Remember this every day. It will help keep focus and actually put a smile on your face from time to time.