From the Stands
From the Stands
At the end of the summer there are certain ritual observances that cultures engage in. The Scots have highland games. New Agers and First Nations mark the passage of the sun into autumn. Parents of Little League sons, mark summer’s end with endurance marathon play ’til you drop baseball tournaments.
…short of lightning’s electromagnetic discharge, we play on…
These playoffs are a two day affair where the victors are rewarded with an ever increasing number of games to be played in strict succession. In the big league they might have a double header and play two games in a single day, in the flurry of little league playoffs we can easily do three to determine who shall pull the sword of victory from the stone.
For the boys, it’s a day of hanging out with their friends, talking like twelve year olds, and consuming fast food. In short it’s heaven. For the parents, it’s getting up early, driving, followed by sitting all day on a metal bench, yelling for our sons to “do like you can! ”
The weather plays a key factor. This year it is cold,gray and overcast. Rain threatens on the horizon, but the threat is empty. There are no rain delays in the playoffs, and short of lightning’s electromagnetic discharge, we play on. Somewhere in the drizzle of the of the second game at the bottom of the fourth inning, one finds oneself praying for defeat. Defeat means elimination and a trip to the warmth of hearth and home. Inwardly we hope for an end, outwardly we clutch our coffee cup tightly in our hands, sucking what heat is left into our numb fingers and offer encouragement to our team “like you can son, like you can.”
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