Thursday’s Thought: Never Give Up

It was around 1983 and I was playing baseball on a team that I felt was the best 9 players ever to play together on one team. We were in the Nationals (similar to the Little League World Series which is now seen on ESPN - but for 16 year-old kids), and we losing 16-4 in the last inning and I was first to bat. I struck out. One out. The next player grounded out. Two outs. We starting taking off our cleats, putting away our equipment, and staring at the one "weirdo" on our team that was still in the cheering mode (clapping and rooting for the guy at the plate), when the coach (who was coaching on third base) called time-out and walked across the diamond to the first-base side dugout). He obviously saw what the rest of us were doing and for the first time ever, raised his voice to us and had a never ending speech about how we were winners, we were the best team, we never quit when we got down in previous games, and how we need to put our shoes back on and never give up. Well, as you might expect, we put on one of our famous rally's that other teams had witnessed in the past, and with the score now 16-14 with the bases loaded, the coach did something very strange. Remember that guy that was cheering when the rest of us were quitting? The coach called time out and brought Chris into the game as a pinch hitter. Chris was a good player, but probably the worst one on a team of 18. But Chris never gave up when the going got tough. And as you might imagine, Chris hit a ball that left the yard in 2 seconds flat. We won the game, but as I look back on that day now, I know I won something more than a game.

Just recently, I came across the poem below. I think it is fitting to those seeking employment.

Never Give Up!

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit –
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things go wrong that you must not quit.

Author Unknown