I was on vacation in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
to visit my family. I went to my cousin’s
kid Annie’s baseball game, who is eight
years old. (She also just earned a third
belt in karate.) There was a woman with
a dog that looked like a fox, and a three-
year old girl with a cast on her arm from
falling on a bleacher, and a shirt that said,
“I love candy.” Annie was the first batter up.
She hit the ball and moved around the
bases and got to home plate. It was 3-0.
Then it started to pour down rain.
We put up umbrellas and waited to see
if it would pass. The rain passed.
Annie played the catcher position.
She got muddy knees. Then the
rain began again. They held out till
the last minute. Annie was now pitching.
She threw one ball that hit the catcher
in the head, but she was okay.
Then she threw a ball that hit the umpire.
What a good arm for an eight-year old girl!
Then it started raining, so it was over.
As we left, a church bell sounded the
hour of seven o’clock. Ah, yes, there
was joy in Mudville. I was so proud
of her even though she said,
“It’s just a typical day for me.”
But what I was reminded of was
determination. Stick to your task,
even if you get dirty and wet.
Isn’t that part of the fun?
THE POETRY OF THE GAME