From the Stars I Pluck

One movie character I can relate to a lot is Jimmy Dugan, the all-star-has-been-turned-manager of an all-girls professional baseball team, played to perfection by Tom Hanks in the 1992 film A League of Their Own. “There’s no crying in baseball,” declared Jimmy Dugan to one of his players. I feel that’s me saying that, almost everyday when I coach swimming.

“Sports are tough” is an understatement.  The psychological turmoil alone causes physical strain, and then the physical strain in turn produces more psychological turmoil.  It’s a never ending battle of mind and body.  So, hat’s off to all of you who are into sports.  You are brave, and hopefully, don’t cry.
 
“Our doubts are traitors/And make us lose the good we oft might win/By fearing to attempt.” A quote on courage by our friend, William Shakespeare, in his play Measure for Measure (Act 1 scene 4), considered to be his last comedy, although many say it is really one of his “problem plays.”  
 
Right now, there’s nothing comedic in the Philippines as citizens nationwide are asked to be brave more than ever as we find the country in another problem playing out with our so-called democracy.  Confidence in sinking a putt for par is not enough.  Fellow Filipinos, we must go the extra two miles! Citizenship is much tougher than sports.  
 
“There’s no crying in fighting for our country!”
 
History is replete with heroes who have shown us how.  Faced with challenges that result in life or death, they would rather die than live facing the betrayal of their country and their spirit.  It’s not about glory, or being remembered or memorialized.  It is about honor, which is choosing the better of two goods – always a tough proposition because the “one good” seems to gain a bit for the personal at first.  
 
So folks, please pay close attention to those who always have “good intentions.”  In Measure for Measure, the power given to Angelo by the Duke creates the hypocrisy that oh-so-often blossoms from authority.  Angelo is so strict against adultery yet wants to de-virginize a nun!
 
Going back to Jimmy Dugan, who drinks, fornicates, and is unforgiving to his players when it comes to baseball, is he someone we’d want to relate to?  Yes, because when it comes to playing the game at its most pure, we must play with our hearts, not with deceit.

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