No adult supervision required...

"Playing baseball just for the fun of it; No coaches, no parental involvement, and no pressure to perform."

I was half-watching the national news the other night when I heard the commentator utter those words. Of course in these days of "not keeping score", "no winners or losers", and "everybody gets a trophy" the story line wasn't particularly intriguing. I mean, it seems like every other day there is another story about how competition has ruined society.

We've removed it from the classroom, the sports field, and are working diligently to remove it from every aspect of life. Problem is, you will never be able to completely remove the competitive spirit from competitive people. That spirit is what drives us to succeed.

But, lets get back to sandlot baseball. I rarely see a group of kids gathered at a park, or at a vacant lot with makeshift bases and grass worn down to dirt along the base paths. I don't ever see games with both boys and girls enjoying the thrill of competing against each other, along with the jeers and cheers that often accompany the errors and bonehead plays that everyone makes from time to time. I don't see the variety of age groups engaging with each other as the older kids gently, and not so gently, mentor the younger ones in the "rules of the game".

So, somewhat interested, I began to watch the news story on television.

The first thing I saw was that it was all boys of the same age....no girls involved, and no older or younger kids on the field. There was also an umpire, replete with all the gear, and there were parents watching the game. Wait a minute, I thought this was "Playing baseball just for the fun of it."

Then, it all came out; one of the parents had decided that it was too "competitive" in the league games, so he organized these so-called sandlot games.

Trouble is, they in no way resemble the sandlot games of old. Really, we would have been embarrassed to no end to have our parents show up to watch us play baseball with our friends. No self-respecting kid would have tolerated it. Of course, our games were all-day affairs with kids coming and going as they deemed fit, and parents were either at work or too busy with other duties to waste time watching the kids play.

No, it was truly, "Playing baseball just for the fun of it." No umpires, no batting helmets, wooden bats with taped handles, shared baseball gloves left laying in the field for the one side to use while the other was at bat, and most of all.....no one telling us how it was supposed to work. Was it without competition? Not a chance. Did we keep score? Of course. Was there "No pressure to perform"? Not a chance. The younger ones wanted to impress the older ones, the older boys wanted to impress the older girls, and the girls....they did their best to impress the boys....Pressure to perform? Oh yeah, there was plenty of pressure to perform.

The difference was that it was all self-inflicted. No adults to organize it, no coaches, no parents, no umpires, but most of all, the freedom to just be kids. I'm glad I grew up in a time when we could spend all day with our friends, playing baseball, just for the joy of the game.....

I thought it was great, but what do I know?

Looking back....why?

Looking back....why? I don't know.

I guess it's because I've come to accept the fact that I'm closer to the end than to the beginning. That's a hard pill to swallow for a guy who's always fancied himself as a long-term planner, and one who has always looked to the future.

To be perfectly honest it's a bit unnerving to realize that most of your life is in the rear view mirror, with the horizon looming larger and larger ahead of you. It's not that I'm afraid of what lies beyond; I'm not. I'm very comfortable with my faith, and know that our short stint here on earth is just the beginning.

What, then, should I be doing for the next twenty years, or so?

I continue to work, even though most of my friends can't figure out what I do, or why. However, there's a bit less work on my plate now, and my appetite for doing it is waning. I still enjoy what I do around the ranch, and it's still rewarding to see my clients succeed as I play a small role in showing them the way.

Life continues to be good, and a new life begins everyday!

Looking back....why? There is still so much to look forward to!

I'll continue to plan for the best, and cope with the rest. Will it be good? Who knows? Life holds no guarantees; it's what you make of it that counts.

That's what I believe, but as everyone here is already aware, What do I know!

I'm sorry, but that's absurd...

Later this month, I'll attain the ripe old age of sixty-six. I've seen a lot of changes through the years, some good, some not so good, but for the most part it's been a great ride.

I graduated from high school in 1969, and turned eighteen on the Sunday morning when Jimi Hendrix woke up the folks at Woodstock with his stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.....wish I'd been there to see it in person, but alas, I was hard at work in Kansas.

The sixties were a time of civil unrest, anti-war protests, sit-ins, love-ins, Hippies, and racial strife. It also brought about the advent of that old axiom, "Make Love not War", now what normal, warm-blooded all-American young man could find fault with that!

Yes, I've seen a lot of changes through the years, some good, some not so good.

When I was born in 1951, the doctor spanked my butt for the first time, made a quick assessment of the vital parts, and announced to my parents, "It's a boy!". No ifs and or buts about it; of course my parents took a look and confirmed the doctor's diagnosis.....Yep, it's a boy.

There were more spankings to follow, as my dad was a firm believer in "Spare the rod, spoil the child". Was it wrong? Today, society finds it unacceptable to mete out such punishment, but it taught me that there were boundaries that were not to be crossed, limitations as to what was acceptable behavior, and respect for authority. It's hard for me to find fault with those outcomes.

Yes, I've seen a lot of changes through the years, some good, some not so good.

For my entire life I've known who I am, what I am, and never once considered it to be the least bit odd that my God put me here on earth to be exactly what he intended. On the other hand, I've known a few, very few, people who seemed to be at odds with their gender. It was never a big deal, and everyone has experienced those encounters from time to time. We all understand that sometimes those genetic anomalies occur, and we've dealt with it.

Recently, I read of a case where the parents of a new baby "X" were not going to make a gender decision until "X" was old enough to make that decision for itself.....I'm sorry, but that's absurd.

It's not that I don't have empathy for those few who have to deal with the gender identity issue, I do. But really, is it that prevalent, or is it mostly hype? It seems to me that it gets a disproportionate amount of attention these days, most of it being generated by politicians and those who don't have to deal with it on a personal level, but who love to be a part of the hysteria.

Yes, I've seen a lot of changes through the years, some good, some not so good.

So now, as I get ready to "celebrate" another year on this earth, I have to wonder just how long God is going to allow His children to challenge His creation. But, as always, what do I know.