The first writings on this blog were about my family, and how we grew up. It told of our lack of conveniences which today would be considered very ordinary, in our lives. How our family lived, worked and believed in dreams and made them reality. If you have not read them they are very convincing of how dreams can become reality. If you want reality enough to sacrifice all you have, you can achieve your dreams. Dreams verses reality are so intertwined its astounding.
This writing is harder for me to write because I am supposed to talk about myself. When you start with nothing, and have nothing, and the entire world is given to you, humble is the word my parents would want me to use. I was taught by my parents never to brag on myself. If you’re good, others will know, and you don’t have to tell anyone. I have never really told anyone all I received for playing baseball. Starting at 12 years old I was chosen for every All-Star team from every league I played. I played baseball in 11 different states with the best players in the world, in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. I was one of the best of the best. At that age everybody thinks they are the best. Perception is not reality. I have not told anyone any of these stories. My wife did not know until she read the sports clippings few years after we were married. She watched me play but never knew the awards I received. We just jumped in the car and went on a date, then went home.
In college, I became very, very good. I was All-Conference, All-District, and All-Region every year. One year I was an All-American in baseball. I had my first real coach who made me work at being a complete player. Again, nobody knows and most of all it really makes no difference in my life as I sit here today. Except, there is one little question for this Blog, and that is what is the UNKNOWN?
I went 3 years to college at Oklahoma Baptist University on full scholarship. I was not a good student because I only wanted to be was a baseball player. After the summer of my sophomore year the coach called me over to his house. He told me he had to tell me something which was important.
When I went to talk to him he told me, “I was going to get an offer one day to play professional baseball but, I needed to make a choice; baseball or Pat.”
I could not believe he would say what he said.
He told me, “What you choose in life is what you want the most.”
In his words he said, “The one you choose you have to love the most, the other you will lose anyway.”
What he was telling me is if I signed to play baseball, I would lose Pat. If I chose Pat I would lose baseball.
He said, “You can only have one absolute true love in your life. The others things you love, you will lose, or you will have to share the love. It will not be absolutely loved.”
He was a wise man who played with the L.A. Dodgers for nine years.
He then said, “With baseball you cannot share the love of the game with anything to be in the major leagues. You have a chance to be in the Major Leagues but not also be married; you will lose your wife.”
I chose to quit school after my junior year and get married. It was a choice I made because I thought I was not going to get a chance to sign a contract for any professional baseball team. Many teams talked about signing me but no team ever offered a contract. I figured it was not going to happen. My dreams were not going to become reality. I loved Pat and wanted to never lose her, so we married.
The coach knew me very well because we were close in helping players get scholarships to OBU. Five players I played with over the past few years attended OBU to play baseball on scholarships. When I left, he was very upset and hurt.
It upset my heart when he told me, “I was like his son, and these players came because I was here.”
I hurt him and I have asked Jesus Christ forgiveness for hurting this good man. I didn’t believe him until three of players told me later, the only reason they came to OBU was because I was there.
Of course, knowing everything at that time in my life (smile) I did not completely believe him. Pat and I married and I was happy even if I had never signed a contract to play baseball. I was going to be a teacher soon and all would be fine. I then decided to play one more year of baseball at Central State University. I was going to school and studying for my education degree to be a teacher. Why not have them pay for my schooling.
I played at Central State and again was chosen all-conference, all-district, and all-region. While I was going to school, Pat signed a contract for Oklahoma City School System for $6,400.00 dollars a year, as a teacher. I had already been working for a computer company part time and was making $8,000.00 a year. I quit school, the last semester, because of the pay of school teachers. To receive my degree all I needed to do was finish my student teaching. I do not believe I would not have been a very good teacher. I expect perfection and the kids today I would have abused. I have never taught anyone who I did not expect 100% of their effort or don’t waste my time. I am talking about achievements for life, not just having fun. I have become more patient as I have aged. Pat was a born teacher. Everything you expect from a teacher she was and is.
At the end of the school year the Cleveland Indians called, and offered me a contract to play baseball. The contract was for a small period of time and I would have to play winter baseball. I was surprised and I had a feeling deep inside me that I cannot explain about signing this contract. Pat was supportive and happy for me. I just thought about what the coach said to me about true love of anything in life. My only dream was to sign a contract with a professional team. I told them no. I didn’t love baseball more than Pat. I had found a greater love and for the first time I had a chance to meet the UNKNOWN. It was shown to me, and the UNKNOWN was in front of me for that choice. You have to choose sometimes what you love the most. I chose my wife, Pat. The UNKNOWN was in the absolutely right place at the right time. The UNKNOWN placed itself in front of me for the perfect life I was supposed to have. That’s when I learned about the UNKNOWN, which is everywhere.
I never told my family I had a chance to sign a contract with Cleveland Indians. It’s just like my daughter who has won 32 professional tennis tournaments; Pat and I are the only ones who know what she had done except my youngest brother. The last time my daughter played on television they said she had won 32 tournaments. My brother called me and was going crazy on the phone. He did not know that she had won but one tournament. He asked me why I never said anything over the years. I told him, she just goes to work like you and I. Some days are good, others we just make it through the day. Pat and I made a choice that if she played it was her life and, what she wants others to know she will tell them. Oh, I have wanted to yell from the highest mountain what she has done in her life. But, are you only good if you win? I have never thought that way. Many in every field of work, from a person who answers a phone, to the Doctor who saves a life, may be the best in the world. We just don’t know who the best is. I know for a fact, that because someone is ranked number 1 in the world they may or may not be the best in the whole world.
I believe that God has blessed us just as much as he has given to us, no more or no less. Sometimes it is hard to understand that statement. Most just don’t stop long enough to see all they have. Also, some did not dream and work to make that dream a reality.
Michael Jordon, Tiger Woods, or Roger Federer are among the best ever to play their sport according to the people who gage greatness. Were there not others in the world of 8 billion people who were better but, never dreamed or worked to make their dreams reality? We don’t know. This is the UNKNOWN! Why does God give the dream? Why does God give the reality? The UNKNOWN is God who gives everything to everybody on this earth.
You will ask why I think this thought. I have one belief about God. If God is really God, the bible says “God is only love”, then everything that happens, happens through God’s love. Oh, many will go crazy reading this thought. The UNKNOWN is the love of God nothing more or less. My cancer is of the UNKNOWN and the healing is really, really, really UNKNOWN.
To end this Blog I think you have to place in the order the four parts of a human. My personal opinion is they should be Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, Physical, and UNKNOWN. Without all, you are missing the completeness of life. Life is such a special gift to enjoy. I don’t always enjoy life like I should. It’s easy for me to look at the glass half full. When the glass is completely full no matter what you see. We see the glass; the glass seems to be half full. What we see and what is reality could be two different perceptions. That is the UNKNOWN.