Writing Services for your Business

I turned the televison off in the living room and headed for the shower. I wasn’t happy. I just watched the Tampa Bay Rays get eliminated from the MLB playoffs by the Texas Rangers in game 5. I couldn’t believe the mental errors that were made by a usually smart baseball team. I love sports, and I probably take it too serious – especially when my team is on the losing end.

Getting into bed, I wasn’t ready to sleep yet. Why do you spend all that time and energy playing all of those games, just to lose in the first round of the playoffs? I know it wasn’t their intention – but it was still tough to watch….And then I changed the channel to CNN. The first Chilean miner of the 33 trapped underground was making his way to the surface. The wheel was spinning, and with each rotation, the first rescue was another foot closer to becoming a reality.

Family members waited nearby. The miner’s wife and child stood with smiles on their faces. Anticipation was mounting as the time passed. It would take 15 minutes to go from underground to surface. I guess after over 60 days being trapped, what was another quarter of an hour? I have to say, as each minute passed, I found myself holding my breath and praying that nothing went wrong.

The little boy waiting for his dad just kept smiling as rescuers talked with him. Finally, Miner #1 reached the surface. After a minute of getting him out of the protective cage, he finally got to touch his family once again. The little boy, with tears flowing from his eyes, probably will never smile or be as happy as he was in that moment.

You think about everything these men and their families have been through over the last couple of months, and it gives you a serious reality check. Here I was, laying in a warm bed with my wife at my side, just minutes before, angry at the world because a baseball team lost. It’s moments like the ones being witnessed over the last 14 hours that everyone should stop and think about what’s important in life. For me, it’s being able to love my family and enjoying the company of good people. It’s about learning new things in life, making people laugh, and doing what you love. It isn’t about making the most money or being famous. And “most important” certainly isn’t being on the winning side of a baseball game.