Cycle
Not being an outstanding baseball player, there was never much pressure on me to make much of a difference in the friendly games that my friends and I played during summer vacations. I enjoy playing baseball but I just lacked the skills that my other friends possessed. Our games usually began when we challenged whoever happened to be on the field. One of these games would actually bring me an experience that was strangely both educational and exhilarating.
One overcast day in July, my friends and I challenged another group in the park. I had seen our opponents in action before and I also had never seen them lose. Not only did they win every time, but nearly all of these victories were blowouts that involved the opposing team simply quitting in frustration or boredom. My team figured that we would try our luck against them, and since there was a good chance of rain, a brief lead combined with a game-ending rainfall could bring us, at least in our minds, a win. There was nothing to lose.
I played left field during the game and batted in my usual spot, last or second to last in the batting order. My first time batting, I swung at the first pitch and ended up with a double. By the time the ninth and last inning came, I had amassed a double, a triple, and a single. I was one home run away from hitting for the cycle, a rare feat in which one hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in one game. My team was able to keep the game close and we only trailed by two runs. I came up in the ninth inning with one out and no one on base. I decided to go for a home run no matter what. Since there were no fences in the park, the only home run possible was an inside-the-park home run, where I would have to hit the ball out of the reach of the other team so I can circle the bases. I swung hard and made good contact. My mistake was that I tried to stretch what should have been a double into an inside-the-park home run. I had no chance by the time I was running toward third base and all my friends knew that my selfish attempt at hitting for the cycle had severely damaged our chances of tying or winning the game. All the excitement that I had was gone. We ended up losing a very winnable game.
That one game emphasized the importance of focusing on the right goals and not being self-centered. I had never thought I would let meaningless goals sabotage the team. If I focused on the win rather than on a personal achievement, I would have never tried for the home run. The experience also showed me how seemingly meaningless things such as a baseball game can teach lessons applicable to more important aspects of life.