WHEN YOU PLAY "THE NATURAL"

A SUBSTITUTE FOR CHARACTER

It happened many years ago, yet it is still fresh in my conscience, and from timeto time it appears on the “stage” of my mind. It happened on an otherwiseinnocuous day during high school. It was the fifth-period English class, and wehad a substitute for the day. You know how “well” those classes end up going.No one listens; no one cares. The poor teacher is subject to all kinds ofabuse! This class was no exception. The woman substitute teacher was trying herbest to maintain order, but as soon as she turned her back to write on theboard, a student would throw something at another student, or, even worse,knock over one of the empty desks. It would make a loud crashing noise as ithit the floor. The teacher would quickly turn around but was never quick enoughto catch the perpetrator. Finally, with her voice raised in frustration andanger, she said, “The next person who knocks over a desk is going to be thrownout of class and will report to the principal’s office! She turned and started writing on the chalkboard. In the rownext to me were a couple of students, an empty desk, then another studentappeared to be sleeping, then a few more students. I watched as a friend ofmine, who was seated behind the sleeping student, stretched his foot out as faras he could, around the sleeper, and pushed the empty desk over. As the deskbegan to fall, he quickly got back into his seat. The desk crashed to thefloor. The sound of the crash awoke the student who was sleeping, so that whenthe teacher turned around, the once slumbering classmate had his head up. Theteacher erupted in anger and started to shout at the innocent kid. The studenttried to defend himself and stated his innocence, but the teacher was sofrazzled by then that she was in no mood for explanations. She told him toleave the class and report to the principal’s office. He stormed out of theroom, pleading his innocence. It seemed that the joke was on the teacher!Still, I sat there…. and so did everyone else. No one came to his defense.Perhaps he had no friends in the class, I don’t know. I just know that afterthe moment passed, and I did nothing, it became less funny. And so it is, some40 years later, that I still remember the incident. The memory doesn’t reflectwell on my character. I wasn’t “standing tall” that day. Whenever I hear the words “stand tall,” I think of Gordon B.Hinckley, who said: “Stand a little taller and work a little harder and value alittle greater the marvelous blessing which you have….You and I are sons anddaughters of God, with something of divinity within us. Let us grow in faithand faithfulness before the world. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “InspirationalThoughts,” Liahona, Apr 2002). To the youth, he once said: “Stand tall, do what is right, count on the Lord, and He willbless you in a wonderful way.” What was the cost of a false accusation? I don’t know the answerfor the innocent classmate of mine, but I can imagine. I’ve been falselyaccused of things in my life. Not only does it sting, but it stays with you forlife.  For me, that event holds for me a memory of a moment in my lifewhen I lacked the courage to stand up for the right. Those kinds of memoriesare not precious in my mind. Sometimes we are caught off guard and wish we hadthe quickness of mind to react differently. And perhaps, I was just being anormal kid in sitting in silence. But why does that experience stay with me. Ithink it is because I know that I allowed my character to be “substituted” thatday with something called “fear of man.” If I examine my life, I know I haveallowed pear pressure, even as an adult to influence my life in ways I am notproud of.  I would hope that as adults,we have overcome our fear of others and the ‘peer pressure’ we felt as youth.But alas, the natural man is hard to overcome. It is a constant battle tocourageously “stand tall” and do the right thig.  But it’s a battle worth waging!

THE BOARDWALK OF LIFE

It was June 1978, and my wife and I had only been married for two days. We were on our Honeymoon in Ocean City, Maryland. If you have been there, you know that the boardwalk holds all kinds of attractions and houses a carnival-like atmosphere in places. As my wife and I strolled down the boardwalk, I spied a booth that we all are familiar with. It’s probably the most straightforward game on the boardwalk. A carnival worker stacks three milk bottles or more in a pyramid, hands you a softball, and you cash in on your best Nolan Ryan impression, right? It’s not usually that simple. Bottles stacked on the bottom are often filled with lead weight, and the softball you’re given emphasizes soft—they may be filled with cork to make them lighter. But even with the odds stacked against me, I wanted to impress her with my athletic abilities and win her a big stuffed animal that she could forever cherish. And besides, baseball was my game, and I had been bragging to her how good I had been in High School and college. I didn’t disappoint! Even I was amazed at how well I did. I kept putting down my money and knocking over the milk bottles repeatedly. I was a superstar and loved showing off to her. After I had won a number of times, I motioned to the Carnie that I was done and wanted my winnings. Much to my surprise he put down in front of me, painstakingly so, my prizes. First, a little green plastic army man. Then, a tiny glass horse, a rabbit’s foot, and last, a tiny plastic farm animal. I think it was a cow if I remember correctly. I was dumbstruck and started to get angry. The booth worker never smiled or seemed the least bit uneasy giving me my expensive and hard-earned “prizes!” I gotta say, I started to lose it. But then something wonderful happened. My new wife of two days started to snicker as each “prize” was presented. Then she began to laugh, and soon she was hysterically laughing beside me, holding onto my arm and practically falling down. I snatched my winnings off the counter as she laughingly pulled me away from the booth. We both laughed all the way down the boardwalk as only a young newly married couple can do. I brought this incident up to my wife of forty-five years the other night, and before I got very far into the story, she burst out laughing, and we both got a great “moment of wonderment” together! I learned a couple of valuable lessons that day so long ago. I married the right girl. When she pulled me away laughing that day, I knew she was a gem. I love her so much. Life has so many things that are of real importance that matter. Winning a stuffed animal wasn’t one of them! She has kept me grounded in the important things! Two; this world will make a lot of empty promises to you and seldom does the reward end up being what you thought it would be for the effort or sacrifice you make. With that said, I am reminded that the eternal promises of the Lord are sure. In Him, the Savior, I can put my trust and know that the promises and covenants I make with Him will bring true eternal rewards! The world often rewards us with plastic army men or tiny glass horses that break easily! I don’t need a rabbit foot for good luck, I need to trust in my Father above and His promises!

ARE WE "RAINY DAY" PEOPLE?

“Rainy day people always seem to know when it’s time to call Rainy day people don’t talk, they just listen till they’ve heard it all Rainy day lovers don’t lie when they tell ‘ya they’ve been down like you Rainy day people don’t mind if you’re cryin’ a tear or two” (Rainy Day People, Gordon Lightfoot) It took me a long time to understand the meaning behind what Gordon Lightfoot wrote and sung in his 1975 song. Sometimes you just like a tune, but you don’t really internalize it’s meaning. And often when you are young, you haven’t experienced the ups and downs of what this world has to offer. As I listened to this old song the other day, I reflected on the nature of its meaning. And I wondered if I was a ‘rainy day person’ to others. Or do I get caught up in my life so much that I am not that friend, that sibling, or that husband or father who is there to listen in time of need? Do I sympathize, or in some cases empathize with others around me? Do I ‘listen to it all’ or half listen as a loved one express themselves to me. And do I let them ‘cry a tear of two’ without rushing them out the door or off the phone. Am I a ‘Rainy Day Lover,’ so to speak? Or when the rain falls in the lives of others am I absent? I love the quote from Stephen R. Covey on this matter. Said he, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” And Malcom Forbes once said, “The art of conversation lies in listening.” I’m going to work on joining others in being “Rainy Day People.” Perhaps I will find, that not only can I help part the dreary skies for others; but in so doing, my skies will become brighter because I have felt the joy that comes when you serve your fellowman with a sincere heart.

WHEN YOU PLAY "THE NATURAL"

A number of years ago, I took the elevator down to the visitors’ locker room in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. I walked with a glove in hand from the locker room to the visitors’ dugout. It was like any other dugout I had been in, except it looked out onto the most beautifully manicured baseball diamond I had ever seen. I found myself positioned at 3rd base. The grass was short; the dirt seemed a combination of nature’s best and man’s additives. The combination left the dirt feeling unusually smooth and almost synthetic. I fielded every ground ball that was hit to me without a problem. The bounces were true and straight. I was standing in the footsteps where some of the greatest third basemen of all time had played, including Hall of Famers Cal Ripkin, Wade Boggs, George Brett, and Alex Rodriguez. I could almost hear the crowd’s roar of approval as I nonchalantly backhanded a hard grounder down the line, which surely would have been a double. I also got to play my favorite position, Centerfield. I caught every fly ball hit to me with ease. My Wilson A2000 glove didn’t betray me. It has been on my hand now for some 40 years. Then came the best part of all. I found myself standing in the on-deck circle. My time at bat was near. I heard my name announced over the loudspeaker. As I strode to the plate, bat in hand, I looked around into the stands. Suddenly, I saw my wife standing up in the stands. She looked so beautiful standing there. The sunlight glistens in her blond hair, giving her an angelic look. She gave me a radiant smile. It was reminiscent of the scene out of the movie “The Natural”, when Robert Redford, struggling at the plate, looks up into the stands. Suddenly, Glen Close, his girl, stands up, and the sun hits her hat just so. Redford gains some “supernatural” power by seeing her, steps into the batter’s box, and blasts a Home Run into the stands. As I dug into the box, I made up my mind to make her proud. I lined a shot into the outfield for a hit on my first swing! I even hit one that cleared the left-field wall! The above story really did happen! A few years back, I received an invitation from the local church leader to represent the church at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles’ PR department invited representatives from local donors, sponsoring organizations, and dignitaries for a night of fielding and batting practice. Dreams can be very elusive in this life. Many of them never come to fruition. But, at least for me, for one night, it did! For many of us, though, this life will be a life of “unfulfilled” dreams. For various reasons, the universe sometimes seems to hold us back. Events happen, and things don’t turn out the way we expected. Such is life! But the great dreams we all have for the riches of eternity are not like our earthly dreams that can often be out of our control. All of our eternal dreams will be fulfilled if we exercise our faith in the Lord and follow His commandments. Eternal rewards sometimes feel far away. But I have no doubt that day will eventually come. My dreams of playing as a Major Leaguer didn’t exactly come to fruition that night, but it was close enough to satisfy this aging ballplayer. My supportive wife even told me I hit better than the other 50 or so guys who took batting practice that night. I don’t know if that’s the truth, but I love her for telling me so! Dreams sometimes do come true. And it did for this old man, for one night,  at “The Yard.” Keep going for the fences! It’s just one swing away!

A HORSE IS A HORSE UNLESS OF COURSE

You have probably never heard of Bamboo Harvester (1949-1970). At the young age of 21, Bamboo died of an “inadvertent tranquilizer administered while he was “in retirement” in…Burbank, California where he lived…” But if I told you that Bamboo Harvester was better known by his screen name of “Mr. Ed”, you would probably remember the famous talking horse of the TV show that aired from 1961 to 1966. Future generations have been exposed to Mr. Ed though the wonder of syndication. “A horse is a horse unless, of course, his name is Mr. Ed”. When I was a little boy I remember watching the show and being amazed at how Mr. Ed would move his mouth as if he were talking. And although I knew it couldn’t be true, a talking horse, it sure was fun watching one that “appeared” to do so. The story behind how they made Bamboo Harvester talk is interesting. “…It was initially done by putting a piece of nylon thread in his mouth. But Ed actually learned to move his lips on cue when the trainer touched his hoof. In fact, he soon learned to do it when I, (Co-starAlan Young), stopped talking during a scene! Ed was very smart!” It is amazing what man can create so many things that appear to be, but are not. So it is with some humor that in teaching a Sunday School lesson this past week there is found the story of a talking donkey. The scriptures are silent as to her name, but perhaps Mrs. Ed wouldn’t be a bad guess. “And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay. Now, I imagine that this story brings chuckles and ridicule from non believers who think that a talking donkey is just one more example of how ridiculous Bible stories can be and that they are no more than fables. But, as can be attested by the talking Mr. Ed, man can be very creative in making horses, as well as many other animals speak through the miracle of film. I don’t mean to compare the power of God to that of man, but I think it is very clear that if man can make animals appear to speak, certainly God could really have them do so. Why not? The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). When Abraham and Sarah, both past the age of childbearing, doubted the promise of the Lord that they would conceive, He reminded them of His power by saying, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”(Genesis 18:14). With that in mind and with the miracle of the creation all around us, again, I would echo the statement, “Is anything too hard for the Lord”. Keeping in mind that God created the heaven and the earth, wouldn’t it be rather easy for the Lord to open the mouth of a lowly ass and make her talk. Seems to me that it would be a minor problem. Nevertheless, many stumble when reading such things. Why? To me it is not because the story is so “preposterous” as it is a lack of faith in the power of God and the divinity of the Savior. If man can make a horse talk with strings and training, why the big deal about talking donkeys, parting seas, and fire falling from the heavens. Seems to me that He who created all things would find these things very “minor” when it comes to “miracles”. The Lord knows no bounds; indeed “nothing” is too hard for Him. Let us keep in perspective His might and power and let not our senses be too common. God is a God of miracles! Miracles can be as minor as opening the mouth of an ass to speak, or as great as the creation of man.