Humility.

Just when you think you are very good at something, you learn there might be someone who is even better than you are at that very same thing. Might be singing, dancing, or even taking pictures…but learning about this in the real world helps you learn how to be humble. A very good trait for all of us to know as we get older.

I have had a conversation with many people about this when we are talking about the best of the best in their community. It’s that 7 year old who is showing break out ability in baseball, that young girl who sings that National Anthem at a sporting event, or the person who spells “Lackadaisical” and does it in that very same manner. They get people talking and often times it starts with the parents. However, they soon learn there are others who can do the same thing---and sometimes better. It’s a real reality check.

My favorite analogy is in the world of little league baseball. There are about 12 million boys and girls, between the ages of 6-15, who play in an organized league. Of those 12 million, the number whittles down fast as they age; if they play college baseball, the number has now been reduced to 4,000. It’s when the 7 year old is now elevated to pro status that you realize the statistics are not in your favor as there are a little more than 1250 players in all of MLB. These 1250 players were far and away the best of the very best on their teams---and it’s the 1250th who is sitting somewhere he has not sat before … on the bench.

I learned this hard reality when I was in 1^st grade…one I have never forgotten. The first baseball team I played on was in St. Louis, MO. If you know anything about St. Louis, they love baseball, and it gets really hot and humid during the summer. So, when you are playing, your goal is to not be out in the field for too long. Our first team spent a lot of time in the field, we knew it very well. There was one game, and this was before the "slaughter" rule, where we spent over 2 hours in the field. In fact, we only batted one time and the other team, batted for 2 hours. That year, to no surprise, we went 0-15. That was a reality check.

The next year, we were all on the same team, we won 3 games—2 years later, we won 12 games and went to the playoffs. What happened? We learned the game and we knew how to lose, but really hated it, and liked winning more! By the way, no one from that team played past 12 years of age, because hockey came to St. Louis.

The photo above reminds me of the early days I played baseball. We would stand and watch the pitcher pitch as we sweated in the field. The difference is, this pitcher is a pro, and he could throw it down the middle of the plate---our pitchers could not. So what’s the reality check here? This photo was taken at a Cubs game in 2008 when the Philadelphia Phillies were in town. The Cubs were hot and were on a long win streak---they were talking this was the year to end the 100 years of not winning the championship. Confidence was high. What they didn’t realize that day was they were playing the next World Series Champion as the Phillies went on to win it all. Life can be humbling.

Thanks for stopping by.