Swinging for the Fences

I was a pretty good baseball player, maybe a bit above average, but just a bit.  The truth is that I could always hit a baseball.  I just have the gift – left-handed hitter, good eyes and all the rest.  The reason I was only just a bit above average was because my goal as a hitter was “not to strike out.”  I’d be in the on-deck circle and my inner voice would be whispering, “Don’t strike out!  Don’t strike out.”  And I hardly ever did – strike out, that is.  In fact, I hardly ever remember striking out.  But I also hardly remember hitting any home runs.  In fact, I only remember two home runs in my entire ball playing life.  I mean, “out of the park” home runs.  I hit a lot of singles and doubles, but only two home runs.  I hit a lot of “warning track” fly balls, but only two home runs.

If I had my ball playing life to live over again, I’d strike out more often.  And I’d hit more home runs!

As the November 27th Annapolis summit approaches, my hope and prayer is that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, United States President George W. Bush, along with United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will not step up to the plate with the meager and pint-sized goal of “not striking out.”  Please, please, please, you big hitters – “Swing for the Fences.”

Maybe you will strike out, but right now striking out means nothing to anyone because striking out is what everyone expects you will do.  But if you swing for the fences, if you just take your very best swings, if you will risk looking foolish, then maybe you’ll surprise even yourselves and maybe, just maybe, you’ll hit one clean out of the park.  Then what?  Then peace, and with peace a bunch of new problems – but peace with new problems is a home run for so many people.

I don’t have my ball playing life to live over again.  I must live with some regrets about talent wasted.  But I’m not going to dwell on that for longer than it takes me to finish this piece of writing.  I’m moving on!  In fact, I moved on some time ago, on a day when I decided that I wasn’t going to live my life simply trying not to strike out – not to fail.  But rather, I was going to swing for the fences more, and hit a few home runs along the way.

I have.  I am.  And I’m going to continue to take some big swings from time to time.

You too?