Simpler Times
When I was a kid, I liked Baseball. I was a true blue Dodger fan. I would sit in the living room, with my Dodger hat on, and watch ever game I could or I’d listen to them on the radio. Everything was painted perfect by the voice of Vin Scully. I carried a Steve Garvey baseball card in my back pocket through most of elementary and junior high. I loved baseball. When I wasn’t watching the game, I would go out to the breezeway and throw a tennis ball against a brick wall. I even painted a strike zone so I knew when I struck out the side again.
Today I watch football. I pay extra money to my satellite provider so I can see all the games of the Carolina Panthers. I have a sticker of their logo on the back window of my truck. I have two replica helmets beside my TV. I even have a Kevin Greene jersey I pull out for special games. But I don’t really watch baseball anymore. I tried to figure out why. Maybe when Garvey became a Padre, a little of the sparkle faded. Maybe when I got so busy I couldn’t watch 162 games, a 16 game schedule was more inviting. Maybe I just like the complexities of football now that I’m older.
Baseball may be America’s past time, but it may just be that, the past. We talk about the past in terms of simplicity. It seems that everyday life gets a little more complicated and as much as we speak against it, we still go forward, never choosing the simple path. George Carlin summed it up best when he said: “In football you invade enemy territory to score a touchdown. In baseball you want to go home.” I will be glued to my set every Sunday this fall to watch the Panthers try to win a few more games this year. But after everything that has happened in the last 7 months, I think it’s time for some of those simpler days. So this summer you will find me in my living room, Dodger hat on, and listening as Vin Scully’s voice paints me another perfect picture.
Play ball!
When I was a kid, I liked Baseball. I was a true blue Dodger fan. I would sit in the living room, with my Dodger hat on, and watch ever game I could or I’d listen to them on the radio. Everything was painted perfect by the voice of Vin Scully. I carried a Steve Garvey baseball card in my back pocket through most of elementary and junior high. I loved baseball. When I wasn’t watching the game, I would go out to the breezeway and throw a tennis ball against a brick wall. I even painted a strike zone so I knew when I struck out the side again.
Today I watch football. I pay extra money to my satellite provider so I can see all the games of the Carolina Panthers. I have a sticker of their logo on the back window of my truck. I have two replica helmets beside my TV. I even have a Kevin Greene jersey I pull out for special games. But I don’t really watch baseball anymore. I tried to figure out why. Maybe when Garvey became a Padre, a little of the sparkle faded. Maybe when I got so busy I couldn’t watch 162 games, a 16 game schedule was more inviting. Maybe I just like the complexities of football now that I’m older.
Baseball may be America’s past time, but it may just be that, the past. We talk about the past in terms of simplicity. It seems that everyday life gets a little more complicated and as much as we speak against it, we still go forward, never choosing the simple path. George Carlin summed it up best when he said: “In football you invade enemy territory to score a touchdown. In baseball you want to go home.” I will be glued to my set every Sunday this fall to watch the Panthers try to win a few more games this year. But after everything that has happened in the last 7 months, I think it’s time for some of those simpler days. So this summer you will find me in my living room, Dodger hat on, and listening as Vin Scully’s voice paints me another perfect picture.
Play ball!
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