Home Run: A Stay of Execution

Jane said it. Once she saw me hit a home run. I was there too.

I was playing, for the first time, on an organized softball league with some of the men in my church. I was enjoying the team and enjoying learning about softball. Like most of the men on the team, I was instructed to learn how to hit smart grounders and lob the ball into backfield over the head of the infielders. I played first base.

There were a couple of guys on the team who hit home runs, and surprisingly they hit them pretty regularly. The rest of us just tried to hit it smart and get on base when we could. I thought it was cool that these other two guys could hit the ball so far with consistency, but it never occurred to me to try it myself. Something in my head said, "those guys hit home runs, you hit singles". So that's what I did.

Then one night, a number of friends (including Jane) came out to watch me play. Early in the game, one of the home run hitters, Mike, came over to me and said, "Dan your stroke is looking pretty good these days. You might try taking a swing for the fences." I was a little shocked, but not reluctant. I figured I now had permission and it was a safe environment to screw up (our team was really good) so why not give it a shot.

My first up, I swung hard and popped a fly out to left field for an easy catch. I swing left, so that means that most of my good connects should actually go to the right. I figured I'd give it another try.

My second up came in the middle of the game. This one went right and a little farther. The outfielder had to back up a bit but he still made the catch. I was a little more encouraged. Mike came over again and said, "looking good, but stop trying to force it up there, just swing true and make sure you connect."

Late in the final innings, with no one on base, I put his advice to the test. The first two pitches were a bit off, so in true "Casey at the bat" (that ain't my style) form I let them go. The final pitch came to me like a gift. It was the right height, just between my knees and shoulders, directly on top of the plate, and falling right in front. I lifted the bat off my shoulder, put my eye on the ball, stepped forward and swung true with every ounce of torque my giant man-body could produce.

crack.

As soon as the bat hit the ball I knew it was gone. So did everybody else. I crushed that little thing and it went flying out to right field, into the parking lot. I trotted around the bases and my friends went crazy. It was awesome.

It may seem kind of novel, but the hitting of the home run had a pretty significant impact on me. I actually felt like it was a little bit of a divine gift. If you've ever knocked one out then you know it's a pretty great feeling in the moment, but it was more than that.

For one, it completely changed the way I play softball. Before that night hitting a home run seemed like a grand thing that was best left for others to try. Now, whenever I play softball, I only try to hit home runs. It totally changed my self-perspective in relationship to the sport and helped me see things clearly. When I look at myself now it's apparent that with a large torso, heavy arms, good hand-eye coordination and strong shoulders I'm really actually built to hit the ball far. Before I saw myself like a lot of the other guys, but after I realized that if I wanted to I could really get it out there. These days, I just expect to hit the ball far enough to get around the bases, and I usually do.

It taught me metaphorically about taking risks. The encouragement from Mike gave me the confidence to reach outside of the self-created box I had relegated myself to, and when I did the result was surprisingly serene. Life is like that sometimes. We hold back from taking risks when we don't need to hold back. Often that's due to a misconceived self understanding, and when we're given the grace or encouragement to step outside that self understanding, the results can likewise be quite surprising. And they can often change everything in a dramatic fashion, opening new doors and new perspectives that basically make everything a whole lot more fun.

So if any of this is making sense to you, remember, don't be afraid to swing for the fences. You might surprise yourself.

DK

p.s. If the title doesn't make sense, it shouldn't.