Let me tell you a story…Two nights ago we were attending my
son Jonah’s first baseball game of the season. Now you have to understand; this
is the first year for these kids in the “kid pitch” league. And this is their
first game. It would prove to be a particularly painful evening. But there was
this one bright spot in the third inning.
Jonah was rotated out of his position at shortstop for
another little guy. Sorry…it’s the first game and too early in the season for
me to know the boy’s name. Anyway, he came in, Jonah went out and I figured
it’d be a good time for me to stretch my legs and head to the restroom.
chair looking out at the field with a horrified look. I thought what could this
woman be looking at that would cause such a look on her face? I turned in time
to see the new shortstop really digging at his crotch. It was evident that this
was the first time in this young guy’s life that he had ever worn a protective
cup. In fact, that afternoon was probably the first time the boy had ever even
heard that there was such a thing!
50 or 60 people are watching him intently, trying unsuccessfully to find a
comfortable position for this very uncomfortable, but very necessary, piece of
equipment.
working on his shoe or his sock…it was difficult to tell. He continued, bent at
the waist and really working on something around his ankle. Finally, he raised
up…after retrieving his cup from the
bottom of his pants leg. He actually held it up victoriously…still not even
aware that the crowd had given up on the game (which was still on-going), and
were completely focused on him and his quest to figure it all out.
Once retrieved, he plunged it back down the front of his
pants to try again to work that thing into place. At this point the base umpire
finally noticed what was going on and called timeout so the poor lad could see
to the situation. Evidently, it was then that he realized we were all watching
because he turned toward centerfield (and the very busy intersection of 61st
and Yale) to finish the project.
the game wasn’t nearly as entertaining.
Well I am glad you found a highlight in a not so good baseball game. You telling this in person was so great.
Dude, I love the way you write. I feel like I was there… and I’m not sure I wanted to be. In a way, it would be great to be like “hat boy’ and “cup boy”… easily entertained and not so easily distracted by what others think. Great job.
Hey Mike,
your quotes, comments on “story” and its power stirred my heart. Isn’t that what a disciple is, someone who follows Jesus so that they can tell stories about Him, who He is, what He does, what He’s doing. They are the ones who witness Him presently, knowing the past as well, and in their witnessing, they tell honest stories about Him. And here’s the thing, He never lacks for making Himself known so His disciples never lack for good stories to tell. It’s the disciples of the world that are able to tell the best stories and weave them in such a way as to intrigue the heart of another. They are the ones who have been granted the power of the big story and the voice that arouses in others the desire to know the big story for themeselves, witness it firsthand, and grow into that unique story telling voice of their own. Of course I’m Irish so obviously I have a head start above all others, unless of course your Irish too. By the way, I’m starting a ministry called “Adventures Unlimited.” Coincedently enough, the tag line is “Enter the Story”