Learning from Chapin’s mistake.

At the risk of repeating myself (you'll listen again and like it) the boy is playing little league again.

He's been playing little league for five years, beginning with T-ball when he was five years old. He's always enjoyed it, but at the same time he was always ready for the season to end.

The boy is pretty active and baseball can sometimes be a game of standing around with your thumb up you're a*s, particularly at the younger levels when most kids aren't coordinated enough to even hit the ball, let alone give the outfielders any action. But ready as he always was for the seasons to end, he was always ready to sign up again come spring.

If you've ever been to a little league game there are always those kids who are obviously playing more for their parents than themselves. You'll see them chasing butterflies in left-field, talking to themselves, watching birds; paying attention to everything but the game going on in front of them. The thing we've noticed this year is that for the first time the boy actually has his head in the game. He's trying to figure things out; where the runners are, where the play will be if it's hit to him, etc. Believe it or not you baseball meatheads, the game is more than just hitting a ball with a stick and running in a diamond pattern. It's a thinking man's game and to be good you have to understand it.

My point is that the boy is actually into baseball this year. He's always looking for games on TV, preferably one of the local teams, but if not he'll watch whoever happens to be playing.

And he always wants to "have a catch."

Several times over the weekend while I was in the midst of some chore or another, the boy would ask if I'd come out back to play catch. Now I'll admit that I'm not always in the mood to play or there are other things that need to be done. Sometimes I'll have to tell him to give me a few minutes so that I can finish whatever I happen to be doing. But I do my best to spend time with my kids, particularly when they ask me to because one day they will stop asking. Also because every time he asks me to play, that god damn Cats in the Cradle song goes through my head. So even though there are chores to do, I'll take a break and have a catch with him.

No way do I want to be remembered like that jackass Cats in the Cradle father.

Comments

[cruisin-mom]

also reminds me of Field of Dreams...that last scene, where he's having "a catch" with his dad always tugs at my heartstrings. You are wise to stop and play...it goes by quickly.

[Heyjoe]

Thanks "mom". Yea, Field of Dreams is where I lifted that line about "have a catch."