be a part of the solution.

I heart toothpastefordinner. You should check it out. Adrienne sent me this one a loooong time ago, and I like it!

And I am such a nerd, I know, I know.

Anyhoo, one of my little life-dictums is that if I’m going to point out a problem then I need to try to be part of the solution.

Apparently this mindset is uncommon at best.

Yesterday we’re playing softball, and I’m up to bat. I tip the ball of the top of my bat, and it’s weak/wobbly pop fly a few steps right of the pitcher. I see the pitcher catch it, and I start running myself—and my bat—to our benches.

EVERYONE is yelling my name. Though, I must point out here that a guy named Ricky (which sounds a lot like Carrie when it’s being yelled) was on first when I batted, and has likely made it to second or perhaps beyond. This is what goes through my head in that split second.

Turns out the pitcher made an error and dropped the ball. I wasn’t out after all. And coach starts yelling at me from behind the backstop!

I turn to him and say, “Don’t yell at me. I would have known to keep running if we’d had a first base coach. I thought he caught the ball. Sorry.”

I was pissed.

Sooooo, for most of the rest of the game I was first base coach when everyone else was sitting around yammering or whatever. And more times than not I let them know we needed a third base coach, and someone would go out to do it. But only if I asked. So weird! I definitely got some funny looks/smiles/winks. But hell if I was going to bitch about not having something we needed and then sit idly by while we were still deficient.

Maybe if others thought like this too more things/issues/changes/ideas wouldn’t go by the wayside??? I don’t know. But it sure couldn’t hurt.