Too Good to Play Ball...

Scenario: Jericho Scott, 9 year old pitcher of

a little league baseball team in New Haven,

Conn., Standing on the mound at the ball park,

thinking about the game, brushing some

orange clay around with his foot, spinning the

ball around in his hand, wanting to pitch a no

hitter which is his ultimate goal. Suddenly, the

officials call the game due to the opposing

teams forfeiture.

Confused, the boy asks why the game is cancelled,

and it is explained to him that his pitch is too fast

that the other team doesn't want to play against him.

I listen to a sports talk radio show in the morning and

one of the topics of discussion this am was the story

of a little boy in New Haven, Connecticut named

Jericho Scott who is 9 years old, and supposedly has

a mean fast ball that has been said to be upwards

of around 40 mph. The Youth Baseball League of

New Haven told the coach that the boy could not pitch

anymore because his fastball was simply, too fast. WHAT!!!

Officials go on to say that they will also disband the team

and redistribute the players among other squads and

offered the refund of the $50.00 fee to those who asked

for it. REALLY??? I'm sorry, but now what do I tell my kid,

which I have instilled into him since he was able to talk, the

importance of being the best you can be and that if you

want something bad enough, you have to work hard to get it?

Players and parents held a protest on Saturday after the

game was forfeited, urging the league to let Jericho pitch the

rest of the season. How can you punish a kid for being too

good? His coach says that he is on target all the time.

THAT'S GREAT!!! Isn't that what every parent or coach wants

out of their child, to be better than good? Here is something

that should weigh heavy on the conscious of the league officials.

Jericho said that he feels sad....That he feels like it is his fault

that the rest of the team could not play. The boy left the mound

in tears!!! Parents and coaches of the other teams in the league

said that their players were intimidated because of his pitch.

COME ON PEOPLE!! HE'S 9 YEARS OLD!! That is what the game

is all about...It's a competition against other teams and the goal

is to outplay your opponent which, correct me if I'm wrong, is

exactly what little Jericho was doing. You go to any batting cage

in America, and the minimum pitch speed is 40 mph. I think that

what these coaches and parents should do is except the fact that

Jericho has a gift, and I'm sure he's not the only one, and

that they should encourage their players to step up to

the plate and except the challenge they're faced with. Maybe

it will give them the opportunity to strive to be as good,

maybe better than Jericho. LET THE BOY PLAY BALL!!!

Just Keep Going...

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging, seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile and have to sigh, When

care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must,

but don't quit. Life is queer with it's twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a

failure turns about, When he might have won,

had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace

seems slow-You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out-The silver tint of

the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close

you are, It may be near when it seems so far,So stick

to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things

seem worst when you must not quit.

What Defines You.....

What defines a man? Is it the occasional

grabbing of the crotch to reassure yourself

of manhood, or the number of brews you can

toss back at the bar with your buds, or

knowing everything about every sport there is?

Is it how hard one can punch in the game of

punch-buggy? Is it going out on the boat and

challenging a friend to catch the biggest fish, or at

the gym to see who can lift the most weight?

Those might be worthy of some definition of what

a man is, but is it a man we are trying to be or

an ogre? I believe the true definition of a man is

being able to admit and recognize when you are

wrong. Allowing yourself to express your emotions,

like crying at the end of a good movie or during a

sad time in your life, or in awe at the beauty of a

sunset or enjoying the sweet fragrance of Jasmine

in the morning. A true man understands what it means

to love a woman and treasure the relationship

between two people. A true man can accept failure,

stand strong through hard times and rebound with a

sense of accomplishment. When a true man can see

that at times, focus needs to be directed to others rather

than himself, only then can he label himself chivalrous.

God Bless Our Soldiers...

I am that man...

I am the one who eagerly stepped up to join,

I am the one who, with reservation, set aside

my family for my country

I am the one who trained with resilience, to be a soldier

I am the one who is willing to die for our freedom

I am the one who is aghast

I am the one who is brave

I am the one who knows the risk of war.

I am the one you fly the flag for

I am the meticulously folded flag that you hold

I am the yellow ribbon

I am your protector

I am the man you salute

I am the man that salutes you

I am the man for whom you cry

I am a United Stated Soldier

I am that man.....

I like Me.....

There's relationships that open you up

to something new & exotic, those that are

old & familiar, those that bring up lots

of questions, those that bring you somewhere

unexpected, those that bring you far from

where you started, & those that bring you back.

But the most exciting, challenging & significant

relationship of all is the one you have with

yourself. If you can find someone to love the

you that you love.. well that's just fabulous♥

A Single Hour in the Day...

Is it asked, how can the laboring man

find time for self-culture? I answer, that

an earnest purpose finds time, or makes it.

It seizes on spare moments, and turns

fragments to golden account. A man who

follows his calling with industry and spirit,

and uses his earnings economically, will always

have some portion of the day at command.

And it is astonishing how fruitful of improvement

a short season becomes, when eagerly

seized and faithfully used. It has often been observed,

that those who have the most time at their disposal

profit by it the least. A single hour in the day,

steadily given to the study of some interesting subject,

brings unexpected accumulations of knowledge. -Channing

Motivate...

Success is almost totally dependent

upon drive and persistence. The extra

energy required to make another effort

or try another approach is the secret

of winning. Believe in yourself, follow

your dreams, have goals in life, have the

drive to succeed, and only surround

yourself with the things and the people

that make you happy.

What is it that makes our internal clocks tick? What makes us who we are? Why are there people who really care about the environment and some that don't care at all? Why is it, that we find it necessary to destroy everything that is important for our planets survival, for our own survival? If there was a way to tap into a several hundred year old redwood or sequoia and listen to its stories of past decades and centuries, would you hear what it had to say, or would the words fall onto deaf ears? I don't believe that global warming is man made, I believe that it is as much a natural occurrence as a spring shower. I believe that all of these natural disasters that the world is experiencing as well as global warming is natures way of telling us that we have "exceeded the limit." All the things that we are removing and killing for our benefit, isn't really benefiting us at all if you think about it. Minerals that are mined for ferilizers and coal for the power plants that give us electricity...Could they be the elements that protect all living things from the inferno that dwells within our earths core? Is the foreseen "End of the World" knocking at our doors? We all look back to days past, of the things we did to enhance our lifestyle, the almost complete annihilation of the Everglades in the late 40's...In 1947, Congress formed the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project, which built 1,400 miles (2,300 km) of canals, levees, and water control devices. The South Florida metropolitan area grew substantially at this time and Everglades water was diverted to cities. Portions of the Everglades were transformed into farmland, where the primary crop was sugarcane. Approximately 50 percent of the original Everglades has been turned into agricultural or urban areas. When the construction of a large airport was proposed 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Everglades National Park, an environmental study predicted it would destroy the South Florida ecosystem. Restoring the Everglades then became a priority.

I believe we are relatively intelligent. We just need to think things out a little more thoroughly before we delve into something that will eventually destroy us. I know that we are all more eco focused currently, but is it too late?? We have become so dependent on the way that we live, if we were to stop for a moment and consider going back to just living on what the earth has given us, live like the natives did hundreds of years ago, we would fold completely!! Our way of life has forced other lives to change, both human and animal. The Native Americans lived off the land for centuries without the use of electricity, automobiles and currency. We are too far into our own mess. We need to focus harder on the things that really matter like preserving what little natural environment we have left. We will NEVER get back what we have already destroyed. Natural/ECO fuels for vehicles, solar to power our homes and work places....We need to try a little harder to get the CEO's and higher government officials on board. There may still be a chance to save US...

UGGGG......Monday's

Why is it that we dispise Monday's? Is it the fact that it's the beginning of another work week and it will be 5 whole days before we can relax again?? Or is it that we have to go to work and face that annoying boss or co-worker that just seems to know everything?? I know that if I spend too much time trying to figure out why Monday's suck, I will lose all that there is to be thankful for being alive and having that time to spend with my family and friends, regardless of it being a Monday or a Saturday....