Pitcher's Parable

Good pitchers want the ball. 

Good pitchers work to promote the welfare of their teammates and give their teammates every chance to be successful.

I wrote the following parable to my daughter after a rough outing in her first year as “pitcher”:

An old man and his young daughter were taking their donkey to the market one very cold day.  This old man and young daughter were from a family that valued their good fortune, in particular their good health and their well-being.  And other than their health and safety, this family valued their prize donkey.  This donkey was not pretty or popular but it was rare.  In fact, it was one of the very few donkeys in the entire county.  Because of its rarity, this family gave their donkey an equally rare name... 

  On this cold day, the old man and young daughter were walking their donkey to the market to shop.  Along the way, they met a man who remarked, "Why do you not allow your daughter to ride on the donkey!  Certainly such a donkey should be taken advantage of and the young lady should not have to walk on such a stony and bumpy road."  In response to this man's remarks, the daughter rode atop the donkey and was at ease.

  Next, they encountered a woman would critiqued, "Why do you not allow the old man to ride upon the donkey young lady!  Certainly an aged figure needs to ride upon such a rare animal."  In response to this criticism, the young lady stepped off the donkey and the old man rode atop instead.

  Next, they encountered a pack of teenagers and the teenagers teased, "Why does the old man ride upon the donkey.  Certainly such an animal could carry you both."  In response to their teasing, the two both got on top of their prized possession and road farther down the road.

  Lastly, just before crossing a bridge, the old man and young lady met the town crier who, never happy with the deeds of others, screamed, "The two of you should be ashamed of yourselves.  Certainly the two of you should be carrying such an extraordinary animal."  So, in response to the woman's screaming, the two stepped down and began to carry their prized possession on their shoulders.

  As the two crossed the bridge on that cold day, they lost their footing and slipped, thus losing their donkey over the railing and into the river.  The donkey drowned that day and was never to return to the family that supposedly prized it so dearly.

  The moral of the story:  "When you try to please everyone, you end up losing your ass."

  The name of this donkey: "Integrity" (some in the county called their donkey "Character")

  Can you identify the first man?  He was an umpire.

  Can you identify the woman and the town crier?  They were mothers.

  Can you identify the teenagers?  They were teammates.

  Pitchers have to evaluate and learn from each outing, the successful and unsuccessful.  The challenging questions I would ask to those who want the ball are:

  Are you working hard to conjure up the strength to do the right thing in the face of other people's opinions?  Or are you allowing the perceptions of others to lessen your efforts to do the right thing? 

  Are you taking the time to discover where you are now, where you want to go, and the distance between those two points?  If you can do that and you can learn about character and integrity, you will become better at your craft.

  Governor Walker, it seems, wants that ball.  But, does he want the ball for the right reasons?

  And, if so, will he take the time to teach himself and learn the proper lessons?