0
0
0
The last good deed “mission” was harder than I thought it would be, so I decided to categorize all 365 deeds into groups to see just what I’m getting myself into. Each deed ended up in one of the following categories:
EASY
HARD
FUN
COOKING/FOOD RELATED (Really?!)
ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED
INTERESTING
RIDICULOUS
IMPOSSIBLE
TAKING CARE OF MYSELF
The book/journal ONE GOOD DEED A DAY says that consciously appreciating yourself is also doing a good deed. I guess they’re right. I’m also one of God’s creatures and should be treated with love and kindness too. So today I chose an action to take care of me!
Today’s good deed: JOIN A TEAM
I’ve loved softball since I was a kid. I was captain of my Pee-Wee League when I was 6 years old and durn proud of it. I also played 4 years varsity softball in high school as the second baseman. I was so good at fielding they called me “The Glove.” (They didn’t call me ‘The Glove.’ I called me ‘The Glove.’)
A friend asked me if I wanted to relive my old glory days by joining a co-ed softball team. The team she was on needed one more woman to fill the roster. Heck yeah I’ll play!!!
I instantly saw myself as Jake Taylor pointing to the bleachers and calling my shot like in the movie ‘Major League.’ That’s right. Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes, Charlie Sheen, and that guy from the Allstate commercials. I wasn’t only going to play, I was going to get hoisted up by my team in glorious triumph!
My friend is the only one I know on the team and I get to the field way before she does. People are congregating and warming up. I’m suddenly feeling like a shy kindergartner on her first day of school. Thankfully, there was nothing to be anxious about. Everyone was so friendly … and surprisingly funny. Turns out I signed up to be on comedy theater’s team. Sweet!
Visions of ‘Major League,’ however, quickly disappear. I get so tired while warming up I have to sit down. Our team is so bad we were the Walter Matthau AND the Billy Bob Thornton version of ‘The Bad News Bears.’ We dropped more balls than a kid spilling a bowl of Dippin’ Dots. They made “The Glove” the catcher, which is the Rodney Dangerfield of positions (it gets no respect). And I went 0-3 behind the plate, grounding out and striking out … twice. Twice!! So much for reliving my glory days.
The second half of my good deed is to reflect on the deed and figure out what effect it’s had. Despite the jolting, non-athletic wake-up call, I was thrilled I did it. I’m glad I moved from the nervousness of being the new kid to the humiliation of being an old awkward ex-jock. Still, I got some exercise, made some new friends, ventured out of my comfort zone and got a chance to laugh at myself. I did something nice for me. I deserved it.
Small, kind actions, like joining a team, have the potential to have great impact. The greatest impact of this deed may be me not being able to move tomorrow morning. But at least there will be a smile on my face.
Play ball!!
Photo (Flickr CC) by John Liu
000
Holly Walker
Latest posts by Holly Walker (see all)
- Behind Closed Doors - October 9, 2014
- Shhhhhhhh! - October 8, 2014
- Look Who’s Talking! - October 7, 2014
- The Donor Party - October 6, 2014
- Food To Go - October 5, 2014