I must be honest with you, I hate people that want to show me 486,672 pictures of their kids and especially when they think I am as excited about them as they are....I wouldn't expect you to care about my kids either. I don't want to be a soccer dad. I am however very proud of Jitters Jr and her first game today.(as well as her cousins!)
Here she is with her first hit in an exhibition game!
Man, no denying she is mine.....Look at her...So proud!
But we need to get to the meat of the issue here, the FLEECING OF AMERICA! It all revolves around this instrument here....Hang with me on this...
It wasn't long ago as I walked down the halls of Hudsonville High School with a heavy heart. It was THE DAY. You know what day I'm speaking of, that dreaded day where after tryouts the results were in and to be posted on a teacher's door of who made the team. Excitement raced through the school and within minutes, all who had tried out checked the door. As I staggered over I searched frantically up and down the list, and for two years in a row, my name was there. However, where this story changes is exactly what this post is about.
I recall that day as a Junior when I walked up to the door, scanned the list, and scanned it again, and again, and you guessed it, I DIDN'T MAKE THE TEAM! What a dissapointment. I thought I had become quite versed in keeping score and being a team motivator in the dugout albeit my play sucked....I still remember the feeling that day of pure hopelessness. It was one of my first lessons in life that I believe is so important.
Things have changed my friends. Now everybody makes the team. I was most puzzled today to see kids get up to bat and swing 3, 4, even ten times at the balls coming out of the pitching machine. I was even more surprised after the 12th swing by some of these kids to see the pitcher walk up six foot away and hand toss them three more balls to hit.....WOW!
I can still remember seeing this guy when I was growing up:
Growing up, I was puzzled by the veraciousness that he called me OUT and wondered if perhaps he was having a bad day. Today I realized how much that miserable bastard had actually taught me. NOT EVERYONE MAKES THE TEAM. IF YOU SUCK YOU WILL NOT BE SUCCESSFUL. STRIKE THREE? YOU'RE FIRED.
I wonder what we are teaching kids today?
1 comments:
AMEN!!! We are teaching them that they can have everything they want, when they want it...and if someone tells them they can't, go whine to someone who will make them change their minds. It's maddening! Disappointment is a great teacher and motivator and sadly, these kids aren't learning that lesson until it's far too late. For the record, I take a strangely perverse pleasure in telling my kids, "no!"
Post a Comment