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(Note from the proprietor: this is my entry for this month’s What I Learned From… group writing project. Everyone is invited; why not join the fray?)

The Memory

I remember it like it was yesterday.

It was a beautiful partly-cloudy summer afternoon, the baseball field was in perfect shape, and I was as ready as I’d ever be. As I approached the plate and adjusted my cap to the optimum angle, I pointed my bat at the pitcher in a sort of gladiator’s challenge: C’mon; take your best shot.

Stepping up, I firmly gripped the bat; shifting my feet slightly so as to get a level stance. The pitcher stood there for a moment, pretending he didn’t care about my challenge as he considered the options the catcher was signaling to him. I ignored his feigned aloofness, focusing on the hand with the ball while trying to gage the type of pitch he would throw my way.

Finally, the moment came: the windup, the pitch – the ball arrowed towards the catcher’s mitt, seeking to avoid that dramatic meeting of leather and wood. My swing instinctively adjusted itself to coincide with the calculated path of the ball.

As the bat came around, I felt, then heard the sharp crack, signaling a meeting of the minds; I could instantly tell it was a good hit. Vibrations transmitted that distinctive thump through my hands and confirmed a connection with the bat’s sweet spot. Following through, I let the bat go and began my run towards first base.

The task: get there at all costs!

I ran like the wind, faster and faster, and before I knew it first base was past and I was swinging toward second. Still no sign of impending disaster! I rounded it and was on my way to third, and my heart and mind began to hope – could I make it? I ran faster.

As the third base coach signaled wildly to keep going, I took the turn as hard as I could and drew a bead on home plate. Out of the corner of my eye I could see both teams, the crowd in the stands, and the opposing players on the field jumping up and down; everyone screaming at the top of their lungs.

The universe narrowed down to that one single spot: the goal, the target, the dream: home plate. As I crossed it there was a huge release of excitement; the sudden realization that I had done something I had never done before – I had hit a home run!

The crowd roared.

The Reality

To tell you the truth, this is the way I like to think of that day. The facts are, alas, just a little, er, different. Oh, I actually did hit a home run; no fabrication there. But it was at a Little League practice – not even a real game.

But there were no crowds cheering me on; no pandemonium in the stands. It wasn’t even a big deal; I found out afterwards that I made it to home plate only because of multiple errors by the players in the outfield.

In fact, in my (sadly short-lived) entire baseball career, it’s the only home run I ever made. And the kicker is – since this was practice, not one family member was there to witness it!

Sigh.

The Lessons

Now, despite what sounds like a crushing disappointment, it really wasn’t. I mean after all, I did learn a few things. For instance:

When it’s time to step up, you’d better be prepared. As much as I enjoyed simply playing baseball, just like anything else it took practice, practice, practice. And let’s face it: practice can be pretty dull sometimes. But one of the reasons practice works is that it helps build responses that can be called upon at a moment’s notice.

Hit the ball – follow through with the bat. Target the base – step on it in passing, using it as a solid support for that all-important turn. All these little routines (and more) become almost automatic with practice, so that you can concentrate on bigger things – like reaching the next base.

The fact is, the phrase “practice makes perfect” can never make you better; but it does explain how you can get better.

When opportunity knocks, then Bubba, you’d better go for it! Hey, I’ll be the first to admit it: I pretty much, well, fell short when it came to sports. I mean, I was not a fast runner (an understatement), couldn’t throw a ball worth a darn (yet another one), and was always worried a high fly ball heading my way would smack me in the teeth instead of the baseball glove (but I was more afraid of the resulting trip to the dentist!)

Then, when I finally did connect with the ball, I was really only expecting to make it to first – maybe. But just in case, well, I knew what to do. So when I saw that first base coach waving me on, I poured it on (at least, as much as I was able to). If I had just run to first base and stopped, well, I would have missed my chance.

Winning begins in the heart and the mind. After everything was said and done (and as you know, more is usually said than done), I simply didn’t care that this was only a practice game. In fact, it didn’t even matter that I never did anything even remotely as incredible in baseball, ever again.

Nope, what really mattered to me was that I knew I could do it. After all, I had done it!

And you know what? I’ve discovered that when facing down challenges today, this is what it really comes down to. Oh, sure, preparation is important – sometimes even critical; but it’s not the endgame. And, it’s not opportunity’s knock either – heck, sometimes opportunity never knocks; you just might have to make your own.

Nope; in the end, the real win happens in your heart and in your head. And when you’re a winner there - then friend, you’re already a winner!

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