Life As A Child

Every child has hopes and dreams....one day I want to be
kind of thing. I wanted to be a ball player...softball.
I began playing softball with our baptist church at
eight years old. I lived ,ate and slept softball.
Every opportunity I was playing ball.

We didn't have a field to practice on....So, we made one.
It was on one side of our cow pasture. Every practice
we closed off that side of the pasture to the cows
and played ball. Several kids, several ladies
in their 30's and some in their 40's. My sister and I
played.

Now mind you, this was a fresh cow pasture....
Our pitcher was probably in her 40's, short,
petite lady....I remember her being very
funny, great sense of humor...this came in
handy one Sunday afternoon.

We took turns at bat...I don't remember who
was at bat on this given day....What I do
remember was someone hitting a line
drive right at the pitcher...toward the
ground....SPLAT right in a cow patty.
Now for those of you that are not
countrified....that's cow manure ok ( shit)

It was all over her face, her clothes....we laughed
for what seemed like forever....peed our pants.
The pitcher laughed right with us....then walked
away to our house washed her self off with the
water hose and was back in 5 minutes flat.....
Let's play ball she said....that brought back laughter.
Just the thought of a 40'ish woman with cow shit
everywhere...now soaking wet saying PLAY BALL.

That was our first year...We did not win a game.
Yet, still we had a blast....our coach was not as
happy with us....but we had a blast.
We did get better the next year...and became good.

We did get a real practice field after the first 2 years
of the cow pasture.

After a few years I began to play with other churches
in tournaments. Then played open league and traveled
every weekend playing softball. I thought I could make
a career out of this...just playing ball and having great fun.

During high school I only got to to play my senior year.
We went to finals and lost our last game before going
to state.

I did continue to play on tournaments and church
leagues. Then began to play industrial leagues.
Off every weekend to some new place to play
ball. Suntan, dripping sweat...I loved every
minute of it.

I took my ball playing serious after the first few years.
If I was playing I was playing to win...having fun in
the process.

I played co-ed on our EMS team. Most of the time those
guys were drunk by the time they got on the
ballfield. OK easier to beat....strict rule with us...
Alcohol only after ball is over for the day.
That's the only time I ever liked beer...
after a long hot day on the ball field.

As I got older and while working as a paramedic
I gained weight...which slowed me down.
I was good...just much slower.
My shoulder started to hurt every time I played.
Finally went to orthopedic doctor....I had messed
up my rotator cuff. I always believed hit as hard as
you can into a hole and throw just as hard.

Give 100% or give nothing. Finally came to the
realization that I could not give 100%...
so I gave nothing.
I did play a few times after that when they were
in a jam...and paid for the pain after.

Today if my shoulder would let me I would still
be playing softball. It was my life from 8 years
old until I was 38....

Softball and fishing what could be better.

Still to this day I enjoy softball....just now
as an observer. It's the greatest game ever.