A laugh a day...

I just love cricket and writing about it.
Just today one of my buddies, whom I told about this blog recently, sent me an email congratulating me on my "unique" outlook and telling that I should seriously consider studying sports psychology, because "every field needs a nut-job".
Far from being hurt I can't help but smile because I know he means well even though the words may seem to point in a different direction.
Falls in quite well with what I'd like to discuss today.
Once again all my inspiration comes right off the cricket field.
For some strange reason I was sent in at number 3 in the batting line-up, a position I've filled once or twice with reasonable success both at school and at club level...though not for Harrismith Cricket club because apparently I'm not good enough.
Anyway, couple of weeks back I was shoved into pretty much the same leaking boat and my heart had pounded like crazy that day.
People I barely knew had put their trust in me and I had hoped dearly that I wouldn't let them down.
4 balls or so later I was back in the clubhouse with a bruised ego, a broken bat and a dented helmet.
I was very much right on the verge of tears when the captain sat down next to me, put his arm round my shoulders and said: "I know you did your best and no one can expect any more".

Yesterday when I walked out onto that field for my local club, I was calm as death itself.
I felt that I didn't need to worry because I was going to fail and that's the end of it.
Nobody else seemed to feel any different before.
Hell, nobody looked surprised afterwards.
They'd set me up for failure.
And being the guy I was, I wasn't going to disappoint ...though it didn't exactly go according to plan.
Right from the beginning I knew it wasn't a chance to prove myself, but rather just a chance to prove that I don't belong there.
I don't care much for what was said to me because just like my friend in the beginning of this story anyone can say one thing but mean the opposite.
My friend asked me whether I think I deserved a pat on the shoulder and a friendly comment if right from the start I was negative, believing I was going to fail.
No, maybe not, but if somewhere along the line, after what I've gone through for my team, I'd gotten a friendly tap on the shoulder and a kindly, sincere word maybe then I'd have been able to believe that the move up the batting order was a sincere opportunity.
Such things go a long way in the human mind.

Destiny decided to give me a ball that would have gotten out anyone in the team 3 times in a row and in the end everyone just thought I was useless without even considering the ball.

If life gives you lemons you make lemonade...life gave me a short pitched ball so I played it for what it was supposed to be, but unfortunately it kept low and caught me on the back foot.
Shit happens.

Life is hard enough as it is.
We all try our best, but still the biggest influence on our lives is the people around us.
If the only remarks you ever get is about what you did wrong instead of how you could have done it better then you might as well not even try.