Are We There Yet? vol. 127

First, I want to apologize for having baseball themed blogs two weeks in a row. My colleague, Charles, sent me an article and video about a Little League World Series regional game in Waco, Texas last week. A team from Texas squared off against a team from Oklahoma. The pitcher, Kaeden Shelton, from Texas accidentally hit the batter from Oklahoma, Zay Jarvis, in the head. Getting beaned in baseball is one of the scarier things to witness for a batter, the pitcher, the parents and basically everyone.  

In this case, Zay was okay and eventually ran to first base. It was at that point that he noticed that Kaeden was in tears, still distraught at having hit his opponent in the head. In a moment of incredible kindness and caring, Zay walked over to the pitcher and gave him a big hug and reassured Kaiden that he was okay. The Journal article title says it all “When Little Leaguers Set the Example for Adults.” If you want to see the video, see the link below.

I remember thinking that while the story was amazing and shocking, I believe it would have been more shocking had it happened between adults. It’s unfortunate that today we seem to live in a society where there is not as much kindness towards others and we no longer seem to expect it. I can’t imagine two politicians from opposing parties sharing such a moment. I’m trying to be more mindful and intentional about sharing kindness in the hopes that we all start to care more about each other and what we share as opposed to what divides us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA01jfPe4P8

Take care and stay safe.

BOOK:

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours. He knows what he's done, and now awaits the same fate he forced on those girls, years ago. Ansel doesn't want to die; he wants to be celebrated, understood. But this is not his story. As the clock ticks down, three women uncover the history of a tragedy and the long shadow it casts. Lavender, Ansel's mother, is a seventeen-year-old girl pushed to desperation. Hazel, twin sister to his wife, is forced to watch helplessly as the relationship threatens to devour them all. And Saffy, the detective hot on his trail, is devoted to bringing bad men to justice but struggling to see her own life clearly. This is the story of the women left behind. Blending breathtaking suspense with astonishing empathy, Notes On An Execution presents a chilling portrait of womanhood as it unravels the familiar narrative of the American serial killer, interrogating our cultural obsession with crime stories, and asking readers to consider the false promise of looking for meaning in the minds of violent men.