What is wrong in the world.

My wife's family had a cookout today. It was at a city park complete with a baseball diamond. Three little boys jump onto the field and I thought the game would soon be forming, then I saw the greatest abomination of my life, they started playing kickball! NOT BASEBALL, KICK BALL! I made a quick inquiry to all the family members there and there were three gloves and one baseball and no bats (the three gloves and ball were mine, I don't carry bats too tempting for the two year old, its a long story).

This is a declarative statement: when a family gets together and can't muster the bodies and equipment for a game of baseball, America's best days are behind it.

The latter day Walter Mitty.

I feel as though I am Walter Mitty at times. James Thurber was required reading in elementary school. A story about a man that has been so worked over by life that he escapes into his fantasy life where it is okay to do that which he would never dream of in real life.

I think about that now and ask rhetorically; why isn't this required reading for everyone over the age of thirty? What happened to good old Walter is common to every Jane and John Doe out there striving hard just to make it one more day. Now don't let me make you think I'm henpecked, not at all.

The longer I live and observe how obsessed we are with entertaining ourselves I realize that perhaps we are escaping our hum drum day to day to live in a Mitttyesque world. We just adore those desperate Housewives and even enjoy seeing William Shatner facing more dangers than he ever did in outer space in Boston Legal. Both of these shows give us an inside look at the incredible, true reality. Shows such as these depict what Hollywood knows we the public will buy.

Walter escaped the humdrum to be something dashing amazing, a surgeon, a private eye, or some other exciting world. But at least with Mitty he was escaping to the better, now we seem to want to escape to the worst possible. More children today want to be the bad guy.

Good ole Walter even had a leg up on most of us, we go to the movies and rent pay per view in order to escape our lives. Walter used his imagination something no one over five seems able to do these days

This is your life??????

Well let me start by making an embarrassing statement. I need a job. Two jobs and two months ago I had it pretty good and did not realize it. I was managing an insurance office in the greater Nashville area. I left that job to sell manufactured homes and homeowners insurance for a company in Bowling Green, Kentucky about forty-five minutes closer to my home.

From the beginning I knew I had made a mistake. The people I worked with sold people things they could not afford and hoped that they would not pay so they could reposes the it and resell it for another commission.

It took forever to get paid for the homes I did sell and then I had to pay the company the money I was drawing from future commissions. I had to stop this cycle. After church Sunday morning I went to the office to clean out my desk. When I arrived at the lot, I saw another salesman who came into the office to try and create business on his day off. (Sunday is the only day they are closed.)

My son's favorite movie of the moment is The Incredibles. I feel a lot like Mr. Incredible I have the ability and the desire to do great things, but I am stuck. I am reminded of a lyric from one of my favorite hymns, "I know the Lord will find a way for me." I think I am like Job, I just wish that He would give me a heads up as to the why all this happening to me.

What is your signature?

Anyone who knows me understands that I am a very loyal supporter of my school, Western Kentucky University. Later tonight the men's basketball team will be playing Witchita in the NIT. Someone in Witchita's local paper described a tradition at Western, the red towel, and described it as "dying out over the past several years". That shocked me, as a vocal fan I am never without my red towel and have even bought my son his first red towel.

You might ask why is this important. It's not, except for those of us that appreciate the differences between our school and others. If not for the things like the red towel, its history. Our legendary coach Ed Diddle started dying towels red to prevent theft of towels from the athletic department. The dye rubbed off on players and a deal had to be struck with a manufacturer to provide red towels. Diddle then began carrying a red towel with him during games and for the last fifty years or so the tradition has stuck.

*****update******
My beloved Hilltoppers fell to the Witcha State Shockers tonight. A close game in the final seconds. Funny I was talking about what you were known by and something interesting, by that I mean that it illustrates my point! Elgrace Wilborn, our center and human hi light reel was kicked out of the game for throwing a punch.

That marks the first time in my and anyone else's memory that a Hilltopper got kicked out of a game.

A wonder what people would think would be out of character for us?

"I want to focus on the future."

"I want to focus on the future." These were Mark McGwire's words Thursday to a congressional panel. He and multiple other past and present MLB players sat before a congressional committee and the most important part of the testimony was what was not said. It would be better to say what they would not say. McGwire's, and in reality baseball's ploy sets a new low for sports. They are now descending from Mount Olympus and trying to steal a play from congress's playbook.

Remember how President Clinton always dealt with various scandals? "These terrible people are out to get me, but I'm not gonna let that stop me from helping you. I'm gonna keep on keeping on and do the business of the people." For the most part the president got a pass, I doubt if the big leagues will be so fortunate.

The beauty of sport is this, it is always decided on the field. The results are clearly displayed on the field of play. Baseball most of all relies upon its history. Now when that history is not one that is beneficial to owners and players of the moment, both management and players are seeking to omit a part of that history. In other words the attempt to cover the truth and get away with the steroids scandal is underway.

Many purist shudder at the thought of the federal government involving itself in baseball, but it must be considered if baseball is manipulating illegally the very thing on display, athletic ability, how is this different from the Black Sox scandal or Pete Rose betting on baseball? Others must govern those who will not govern themselves.

This brings up one question, will the masters of the sport of political tom foolery allow these amateurs to practice this craft? Both congress, baseball, and the general public know the game and the motives behind every move. What remains to be seen is will the powers that be let baseball, once again, get away with it.

Are you getting what you want?

In many instances in life, this basic question is not being asked. One of my coworkers points out the difference between buying something and being sold something. The difference is obvious, in the former case you have invested, you have decided that this is what you want. The latter case requires a third party to convince you that you wanted to makle the purchase.

The reality is this, no one wants to be sold anything, everyone wants to get what they want and for it to be their choice. When we are sold something constant reassurance is needed to maintain satisfaction upon a forced decision. (I really didn't even like this car but I let the salesperson talk me into it.)

When looking at our lives it is important to realize that we ought not sell ourselves on things we really do not want. We should make sure that we are really buying the choices we make, not just settling on a choice that we really dislike because we have convinced ourselves that this is the only option available to us.

Welcome home!

Are there any words in the English language that bring a better feeling to the heart of a human being? No matter what the circumstance it is ingrained into our make up to go home. Whether it is the homeless or orphan all still search for this basic thing, a place to belong. I find it interesting that as we peruse God's word we are told to be content with food and raiment. No where are we promised an earthly dwelling here on earth. Christ even forewarned early disciples that "the birds have nests and the foxes have holes" but he said that he did not have a place to lay his head! Why would a loving God not provide for this need? Perhaps it was because he wanted us to come home to Him! What a glorious and wonderful thought!

How different our lives would be if we tended to business while waiting for our trip home to be with God. How many things would we no longer worry about because this world is not our home. How much more time would we spend making sure we receive our welcome home!

It was an accident!

This phrase is one of my two year old sons favorites. He uses as a catch all for bad behavior, if I spill my milk its an accident. He also uses this four word magic phrase to get out of what I have come to think of as "on purposes." If Daddy won't get up out of the recliner to play blocks and he grabs a soda and sends it flying across the living room that, in his mind is an accident too.

Now most would realize that this is in fact a tantrum and write it off to the unhinged emotionalism of a toddler. However, when I study my son I start to see more and more of myself and some basics in human nature. He did not accidentally pick up the soda I was drinking and send it flying, yet he does not delineate the difference between an action that was a mistake and an action that was unintentional.

Understandable misuse of words for a two year old, but I see the rest of us in his actions. How often do we find out that we are in a situation we don't like and declare to all that will hear us "this is an accident," in fact most things in our lives are the result of our decisions and our non-decisions. From the wealthiest to the poorest, the most disgruntled to the most contented we all are nothing more than an accumulation of past actions and decisions we have made to both internal and external forces.

While this should be a source of great hope, all too often we just tend to go with the flow and hope for the best. What an opportunity! If I am a sum of decisions and actions made in the past then I have the opportunity to impact my future by the decisions I make.

Rejection of Congressional Invitation!

"The remaining witnesses, however, made it clear - either by flatly rejecting the invitation to testify or by ignoring our repeated attempts to contact them - they had no intention of appearing before the committee," congressmen Henry Waxman and Tom Davis stated according to FoxSports.com.

It is worth asking, why are ball players afforded the luxury of just refusing to comply with legal proceedings? In our recent history, moguls, U. S. Presidents, and every working man and women who have seen blue lights flashing in their rear view mirror have complied, albeit unwillingly at times, with the rule of law. (I complied, I know that I wasn't going that fast but I paid the cost and will be going to traffic school in the near future.)

Yes, once again baseball gets to play by its own rules. Senator Jim Bunning, R KY, said that "congress should stay . . . out." Bunning, a Hall of Fame pitcher, gives us a keen insight into the mind set of this sport. Every industry in the United States is subject to the law of the land. Yet Kentucky's junior senator, as well as most of baseball's insiders, sports writers, and sports commentators are of the same mind, baseball is above the law.

The refrain has been heard time and time again, you cannot punish abusers of steroids because steroids "weren't illegal in baseball". I wonder if the authorities would let me set my own little principality modeled along the lines of the Major Leagues? Let's see, no more 6% Kentucky sales tax, I've decided that there is no rule in my home saying I have to pay it. Oh, and don't come to my door trying to sell something, I have decided that, at my discretion, I can seize the personal belongings of anyone who comes into my home. I can do it too! Why? I can do it because there is no rule against it at my house.

Baseball is an industry that is desperately in need of a reality check to be sure, but the real question is why isn't there a cry from baseball for clean play, from the fans, the owners, even the clean players? Every batting title that was won by a steroids user, potentially took that award and the next big contract away from the player that came in second. How many Triple A players were defrauded out of their chance to play at the highest level?

I would encourage a class action suit by all former players that didn't make it to the big leagues against players, owners, the player's union, and the MLB itself for this conspiracy that defrauded each player that would have made it to the big leagues had it not been for the dirty secret that hid in the open for the past ten years.

Perhaps if the prima donnas of American society were hit where it hurts, they will understand how unfair it is that I have to go to traffic school.

Congress Subpoenas Seven Major League Players

A congressional committee investigating steroid use has issued subpoenas for seven of the games biggest past and current stars. One wonders where all of the federal concern was on this issue as steroids filtered its way into the elementary schools of America.

Baseball looked the other way while McGwire and Sosa rejuvenate the game. It will now be interesting to see if the MLB will offer these alleged steroid users as sacrificial lambs in the steroid controversy in which they were tacit co-conspirators.

For non-baseball fans (I shudder at the thought of the poor soul who does not have an appreciation of the game) the question might be asked why does this matter to me? The answer is simple and relevant to all society. We have become a society that values bigger, stronger, faster and will take every shortcut to achieve our wanted result.

Baseball is a game of accumulation. Individuals putting forth individual effort toward a series of small details that when taken as a whole result in the finished product on the field that uninformed spectators have in the past deemed "boring." But the enlightened baseball purist, George Will, refers to the baseball as a metaphor for the American experience.

Life too is all about accumulation. Today celebrity trial after celebrity trial go to juries that have watched high priced defense teams mount expert defenses for sometimes guilty clients. Martha Stewart, recently released from "Camp Cupcake" her minimum security home for the past several months, emerged more famous, more wealthy, and with brighter prospects than before her indictment and conviction. What results are we as a society accumulating and what will be the end result?

My thought to ponder is this: is it not better to teach children and society in general how to overcome not having the most money, without breaking the rules. Is it not better to teach young athletes the benefits of overcoming deficits in strength, speed, and size through hard work and grit instead of chemically and even surgically altering their bodies.

It seems that we are far from the society the founders envisioned, a meritocracy that rewarded hard work.

Welcome to my new effort.

It is my wish to give my view of the world, events, and life. If you find worth, encouragement, or humor then I view this blog as a complete success.

My first observation: as I was spell checking this entry the word "blog" was not recognized. Rather amazing how quickly the world changes even our technology has trouble keeping up with itself!

I don't feel quite so bad about having my wife program all our electronic equipment.