HIT OR MISS– 
It’s been hit or miss around here lately. Talking about a bat and a ball.as in softball. My golfer guy has now rediscovered his inner Sandy Koufax, his baseball playing younger self that he left in Brooklyn more years ago than he can remember. Not that he ever stopped following the Dodgers despite Walter O’Malley moving the team to L.A. and Ebbetts Field becoming a memory. My practical, business oriented golfer guy sighed in resignation and loyally followed Dodger games on television. He still does. When we lived in Houston, Mike made a good friend, originally from L.A., and the two of them enjoyed reminiscing about Dodger history. They even attended a few Houston-L.A. games together.
Growing up in Brooklyn, Mike’s favorite pastime was baseball and later, softball. He was an excellent baseball pitcher and outfielder with a strong arm and a few no-hitters to his credit. He even once pitched against Joe Torre. Mr. Torre went on to fame and fortune, and my husband went on to our day camp for adults. Along the way, a broken elbow, a torn labrum (somewhere in the shoulder) and the responsibilities of growing up required a different path.
In time, Mike moved onto softball only and played for many years until finally, he ran out of people his age to play with. For the next 25 years, he engaged in other sports. But our day camp has a softball team. This was a chance for my golfer guy to get in touch with his inner child. He couldn’t wait to step out onto the ball field again.
Sometimes, however, it’s better to live in the past. Softballs that used to be easily caught, now dropped in front of him or went over his head. The instincts for playing the outfield had eroded, and as bad as that was, his batting was even worse. Flailing at the ball or hitting weak grounders was a big departure from past success. And because I’d seen him play many times during long ago summers, I can testify to the fact that he once was highly talented.
Needless to say, a former pleasure was now tinged with disappointment and frustration. Although he’d expected a drop off in skills, limited competency was unanticipated.
Despite his frustrations, Mike kept showing up for practice and games, and kept hoping his skills would improve. Being second oldest on the team didn’t help either. But, he never stopped trying. When other more skillful people were absent, Mike was given a chance to play.
Somewhere along the line, his teammates suggested that a pair of distance glasses might make a difference. Off he went to the eye doctor, hoping for a quick fix. Not to be.The quick fix turned out to be a cataract operation. It seems that catching fly balls requires depth perception, and with only one eye working…well, you get the picture. Around here, cataract operations are as common as age spots. If you haven’t had one, it’s only a matter of time until you do.
The surgery was successful. His eyesight improved, and so did his ability to play the outfield. Unfortunately, hitting a ball is a little more precise than catching one, and that’s still a work in progress. Occasionally, there are flashes of what used to be. But, in fact, we are not fifteen years old anymore.
Recently, my man-child began playing in a league where many of the people are older than he is. Isn’t it amazing how being one of the team’s younger players makes you one of the better players without any improvement in skills?
And now a man who also enjoys chasing little white balls across swaths of green grass also chases larger yellow ones in his field of dreams.
In the day camp, we can enjoy the pleasures of our youth as long as we temper expectations with the wisdom of experience. We’re still learning, still growing. Still playing the greatest game of all–the game called Life.
Have you returned to something that once gave you pleasure but dropped it because you’re not as good as you used to be? Or have you continued to find pleasure in your activities despite some disappointment? Let’s keep the conversation going. Post a comment below.
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As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I hope to see you again for the next edition of Starting Over.
Linda
