Let me tell you about the time I “broke the Matrix” in high school gym class, and what that taught me about life and living well.
I remember it was an overcast day and our class was playing softball.
We rarely played softball. I myself hadn’t played the game since middle school, although I’d played lots as a Cub Scout in grades five and six.
Before I go further, you should know that I was not a great athlete. I wasn’t terrible, mind you. I did well enough to get mostly Bs in Gym.
As the game unfolded and I contemplated my at-bat, I longed to get a solid hit. I remembered knocking some long balls the last time I had practiced in middle school — much to the surprise of my more athletic classmates — and my heart fluttered at the thought of doing it again.
I waited my turn.
At last, it came.
I grabbed a bat and approached the plate.
The outfielders moved in several steps and I felt a rise of indignation in my chest.
They weren’t expecting much, it seemed. What annoyed me most was the right fielder was one of my good friends.
Lean into it, said a voice inside my head. All of a sudden, I really wanted to make these d-bags run.
I took my stance, leaning back so I could throw my full weight into the swing.
I shifted my feet to aim for right field.
The pitcher wound up and delivered —
I watched the ball float toward me as if in slow motion. It seemed to hang in the air, growing larger and larger.
I swung, hard.
THUNK!
I’d gotten all of that ball and put most of my 150 pounds behind it.
It streaked like a missile over the first baseman and deep into right field. It towered over my friend and I felt a wave of satisfaction as he turned to give chase.
I was rounding third base by the time I realized that something felt off.
I stomped hard on home plate and looked around. Things were not what I had expected.
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The field was oddly quiet. The boys on both teams were standing around and looking dumbly, as if disinterested in the game.
It felt like I had broken the system. Or trashed a movie scene. I had thrown out the script and done something I wasn’t supposed to do, and no one knew how to react.
As I remember it all these years later, it felt a bit like I’d opened the engine compartment of a machine and was looking at the moving parts inside.
It showed me something about human nature, something I wouldn’t really understand until I was older and more experienced.
These are the lessons I learned that day, as trite as they may sound:
- Swing for the fences. When you do something, put your full weight behind it.
2. Defy expectations. Don’t let anyone else decide how far you can go.
3. Learn to enjoy winning — with or without approval from anyone else.
4. Read #3 again — because other people don’t necessarily want to see you succeed.
Remember, it’s your life. Your movie. Swing your bat hard and have fun watching them run.
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Edit: I know, I know. I said in my last blog post that I would be taking a short break while I move to Florida. Well, two things happened: One, I got inspired. And two, I just now hit the “publish” button by accident. So deal with it, OK? Take it easy and I’ll be back again in July.
Excellent! Missed this post when perusing your blog last time. I learned rule number three very early. I never had any support for anything I did, so I learned to do without support or encouragement. It really turned out to be a golden gift, and turned me into a real self-starter. Now I look around and see most of my fellow Americans paralyzed from taking action. They can’t seem to get anything done without a cheerleading squad urging them on. What a terrible handicap. I’m so thankful I avoided this trap.
Yes, when you take people by surprise, they are temporary unable to react. That’s when there is a chance to accomplish something before the PTB try to stop you. I have turned my life experiences into a system of survival. My only regret is I did not have my survival system up and running in my twenties. I expect that would be just too much to ask for.
Thanks for the great comment, Kris. And my apologies for not replying to you sooner. I’d seen your post and been eager to respond, but things have been nuts since we moved to Florida and unfortunately, it fell off my radar.
They say hardship makes some people stronger, and it sounds like the lack of support and encouragement you received as a young person served as a catalyst for you to become a self-aware and active participant in life and your own destiny.
That kind of evolution and adaptation is what “survival of the fittest” is all about.
And, you’re right. It’s a shame that so many people today seem content to sleepwalk through life, allowing themselves to be carried by the currents instead of swimming in the directions they want. In times past, this would be merely sad. But nowadays, this kind of apathy and ignorance are actually becoming dangerous as people fall for the lies, scams, and myriad other deceits of advertisers, their fellow citizens, and TPTB.
Kudos to you, Kris. Thanks for writing, and stay frosty.
Love it.
Thanks, Chris! Speaking of winning . . . You and I had a legendary run that I’ll never forget. Thank you for all those years!