Missed opportunities....

Well, it's that time again. It's time to update the ole blog page and write down what's on my mind for the entire world to read. Well, I could only hope the world would want to read it. So far I've only got two followers. That says a lot for my writing skills. Either I'm a terrible blogger or my family members are just having pity on me...LOL. Either way I'm having a blast doing this.

Well, what are my thoughts this week? I'm glad you asked. We recently went on a vacation to Dallas, Texas for a few days and had a blast while we were there. We were able to go to a Rangers game with some great friends, see the "Bodies" exhibit and just walk around in the "West End" for a while. We visited the location of JFK's assassination and went into an old church that's now a museum. We had a really good time. However, the highlight of the vacation wasn't the exhibit, it wasn't the West end and it definitely wasn't the JFK assassination location. The best part of the vacation, at least for me, was the Rangers game.

A baseball game, you ask? Yes, a baseball game. Okay, I have to set this up. We get to the stadium, get our tickets, go into the stadium and find our seats. Me and Collin, my youngest, go down to the dugout and just hang out hoping that one or more of the players will come out and sign a baseball Collin brought. No, players showed. We were a little disappointed, but not giving up on having fun. However, by now it's almost time for the game to start. Donna had come down to take a few pictures of me and the boys and the security guard tells us that the players will not be signing autographs. Oh well, we're there for the game and to make some memories and believe me we made some.

It's about the 4th or 5th inning and by now I've seen several pop ups caught by players tossed into the crowd. I'm thinking, wouldn't it be great to catch one of those? That would be sooo cool. Well, then I hear someone say that if you stand up and yell at the player making he catch and you get his attention, he may throw the ball to you. I'm thinking that it can't hurt to try, right? I mean, if they will throw it to a person three or four rows into the stands they'll surely throw one 36 rows into the stands. So I tried it.

It's the bottom of the sixth inning. The Rangers are in the field and they have one out left. The Angle's, that's who the Rangers are playing the night we went, have a player at bat and he hits a high pop up to the short stop, Elvis Andrus. Elvis makes the catch! And as he is running to the dug out I stand up, throw my hands in the air as if I'm reaching for a pair of beads from a crew member on a Mardi Gras float and I yell "HEY" as loud as I can.

Now you have to picture this. I'm sitting in a section directly behind the dug out. I'm 36 rows back and there are hundreds of people sitting ahead of me. But when Andrus caught that ball and started running toward the dugout, it felt like I was the only one standing. There didn't appear to be anyone reaching out asking for the ball and I felt as if I was alone in a crowd of people....LOL! But as luck would have it I got his attention and he THROWS ME THE BALL! Yes! I got the attention of a Major League Baseball player and he is throwing me an MLB baseball that was used in a televised game seen by millions of people. Oh what a joy it was going to be to tell the story of catching such a great prize. What fun it would be to tell all my friends that "I" caught a baseball thrown to me from Elvis Andrus at a game. I would be able to give the ball to my boys and they would be able to share the story of a lifetime with their friends at school, at church and family gatherings and explain to them how great their Dad was to give them such a wonderful gift.

But they won't be able to tell that story. They won't be able to say how great their Dad was because Dad didn't catch the ball. It was a perfect throw! No one standing in front of me, no one waving their hands in my face, it was a "perfect opportunity" and I missed it. The ball hit my right hand just below the pinkie finger. I was so upset with myself. I couldn't believe it. I missed a ball thrown right to me! I missed a great chance to be a hero. I missed an opportunity to be great in the eyes of my kids. I missed what I thought was a "once in a lifetime" opportunity.

Isn't that like life though? Hasn't there been times in our lives that we thought we had everything right and for what ever reason things just didn't go the way they were suppose to? It would appear that everything was perfect in whatever setting we happen to be in and then out of no where something happens and it's no longer a perfect situation or setting, but a ruined event.

But all isn't lost. Yes, we have blunders in our lives and we have missed opportunities but we can't let a missed opportunity or a blunder be the reason we quit trying. So we "dropped the ball". We've all done it. But just because we "drop a ball" doesn't mean we won't go back to the stadium. Just because something goes wrong doesn't give us the right to just quit. We must learn from it. Learn from the mistake, learn from the blunder, learn from the missed opportunity then go back and try again.....You must keep trying! We'll never be successful in achieving our goals if we quit every time something that isn't planned or expected takes place.

What did I learn from missing that ball? What did I learned from an unplanned or unexpected issue that interfered with my achieving such a great prized possession in what would appear to be a perfect setting at an MLB ball game?

Next time I'll carry a glove!

Just a thought....C-Ya!