Anything is possible if you set your mind to it

This archived article was written by: Leland Labato

Greetings to everyone out there in newspaper reading land, welcome to the first issue of The Eagle 2007. Now I know what everyone is thinking, but trust me, there is no way we can find that many can openers.
So there I am wandering around the house getting ready to leave for Salt Lake City looking for anything I need on the trip and getting dressed, etc. During all this hustle and bustle, I take a moment To glance at the television.
So during one walk by I notice that there is an abnormally small boy standing at bat. So taking this as a sign that something interesting was about to happen, I paused all other activity. I was correct. It turns out that this little guy is older than his size would imply. The little guy was like 10 or 11 or somewhere in there. Of course due to his stature, he was subject to ridicule from the other team.
The pitcher had tossed in a few and they were all balls as he had a very small strike zone. Everybody thought he was going to get walked on this last pitch but then a miracle happened. As the pitch came in, the little guy swung the bat for all he was worth and just clobbered the ball.
Switching to slightly slow motion camera, it showed everybody in the stands and on both teams with an absolutely amazed look on their faces. The camera followed the ball and it was just cruising, well on its way to being out of the park.
This is one of those moments that you look for in a movie. This is a moment when the underdog overcomes all odds to succeed in a grand, triumphant manner. It is a moment when hope is in the air and all that is bad shall be washed away, replaced by pure, utter, righteousness.
Just as the ball reached its apex and the camera cut, to the little boy’s face I remember thinking, “awe it’s the little guys first home run ever, how special.” It gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling in my belly. And then the ball comes down, hits this lady in the head and she dies. Totally ruined the moment for me.
As wrong as it is, I couldn’t help but laugh a little bit. Not only at the irony, but also that is was something that would happen to me, but mainly at the fact that someone actually sat down and thought of this. The one bright and shining moment in that little boy’s whole baseball career up to that point and they just yank it all away by having some lady die because of it.
And on that note, it just occurred to me that this is a whole new year. It is the time for resolutions and getting in better shape. Not to mention that the Superbowl is right around the corner. This is generally a time of year that is usually dedicated to self-improvement and taking on new projects or whatever else people do at this time of year. It is just a time that is all about being a better person, well at least that’s the way I see it.
But why not? Why not try to get out there and accomplish something you’ve never done before? Why not go out there and get into better shape or stop doing something bad for you? Is there something that has been bugging you about work or some other place you frequent? Why not work to change that and make it better this year? Why not? As a matter of fact, what is to stop anybody from going out and making this the best year in the history of humankind?
So there could be setbacks, but so what? The little guy didn’t stop playing baseball because he accidentally killed somebody. Why should any of us stop whatever we are doing because of a little setback or somebody dies or something? That is no reason to just up and quit doing something you believe in doing. The only thing holding any of us back is ourselves. You want that promotion? Go out there and get it. You want to drop 20 pounds? Go out there and hit the gym hard. But under no circumstances should you hit somebody named Jim, unless absolutely necessary.
Oddly enough this reminds me that we live in the future. That is right folks, this is the future. Not only that, but it is a new year in the future. That’s like twice the future for the price of one. Can you handle that, or did I just blow your mind?
So if you experience a setback or some other such similar experience, remember that it is the future and in the future all things are possible. Of course it is possible that you could hit a home run and hit some lady in the head and she dies. Don’t let that get you down, next time just don’t swing so hard.