The Writer’s Coin

When I was six years old, I wanted to play baseball. So I went to this academy with my mom and while she talked to the administrators, I stared out at all the kids playing baseball and I knew this was what I wanted to do. It was my mom that had first turned me onto baseball — she had played softball back in the day and one day she asked me if I wanted to watch a ball game on TV with her. Having nothing else to do, I said yes. After a few minutes of watching major leaguers play on TV, I told her I wanted to play baseball. So we went to the academy. When my mom came out of the office, she told me the bad news: I was too young to play baseball, I would have to play t-ball. I don’t really remember saying this, but I guess I told her that I would wait until I was seven because I didn’t want to play t-ball. It was “stupid.” So I waited a year and finally joined up. I was absolutely terrible during my first year, but I eventually became pretty good and here I am 20 years later — still playing ball in a city league here in Chicago.

I was going to write about how important it is to have a passion back when our season began, but I procrastinated. Just being out on the field doing something you’ve done for so long is so satisfying. But it also balances my life out. Between work and the everyday world of bills, errands, worrying about money and so on — you tend to get very wrapped up in stuff. But playing baseball for me is a reminder of a more innocent time. When you did things for fun and for the passion you felt for them. I mean, there’s nothing else in the world that I can say I’ve done for 20 years (I’m 27 years old) — and that means something to me.

What finally got me to write about this? Yesterday was our last regular-season game, so now the end is near (barring the playoffs of course) and that’s when you really start to value being out there and playing the game.

Why is this important?

It’s important because having a something you’re passionate, that you’re good at and that you’ve done for a very long time is crucial in life. It does wonders for your self esteem when things are rough at work or you feel stressed out about this or the other thing in life. It feeds your confidence and your ego, which is very important. I call myself a writer, but I haven’t published anything yet. It’s kind of depressing when I take a look at my rejection folder and see how many places have said “No” to my stories and essays — I may need a new folder soon. So that definitely takes its toll, but when I think back to how awful I was at baseball when I started, it makes me feel better. I was terrible, but I worked hard at it and managed to make myself into a pretty good player. In other words, I came a LONG way.

I intend to do the same with writing. Having a blueprint of success like that makes me feel like I can pretty much take anything on as long as I devote myself to it. After that first year of baseball, I practiced every day. I would come home and throw a tennis ball against this wall in my yard and play for hours. I would hit rocks with a stick and pretend I was in the world series. I sat and watched hours of baseball games, paying attention to what these guys were doing. When my coaches spoke, I listened.

In other words, my passion isn’t just a hobby that lets me have a good time when I play it, it’s given me the tools and experience to apply myself to other things. When I started writing I knew I was bad, but that was OK. I persisted because I knew I had overcome “being bad” once before.

I hope this is coming out right. What I’m trying to say is that it’s really important to have that one “something” that you’re passionate about and you feel at home with. It will make your life so much easier. And for all of those that have it and know what it is but have neglected it, DON’T! Go back to it in any way you can and never let it go, you’ll be glad you did.

What’s your passion and how has it helped you in your life?

Tags: baseball, having a passion, the importance of a passion