Farm Tough

Last week, my 10-year-old son Eric made a play in his baseball game that I was particularly proud of.

He didn’t strike out the side or make a fantastic stop in the field. He didn’t smash a double down the left-field line.

No, it wasn’t a remarkable play at all - Eric was hit by a pitch on his arm while batting.

What pleased me was how Eric casually dropped his bat and sprinted to first, similar to when he draws a base on balls.

It’s sad, but this behavior from a young boy is now about as rare as one of these kids knocking a home run over the fence.

For whatever reason, most young boys now cry and make a big scene if they suffer any pain on the field, usually carrying on until the umpire or coach runs out to attend to them. Before long, mom and dad are rushing into the dugout, and the kids from both teams get into the act by kneeling to show respect to the injured player, similar to when they take a player off the field on a stretcher during an NFL game. The commotion quickly comes to a close when the youngster miraculously shakes off the injury and finds his way to first base.

I look to the ground and cringe at the overreaction whenever this happens.

I reflect on where this early behavior leads. I think about the excuses our employees give for wanting to work from home in this post-covid world. A recent humdinger was a boy in his mid-20s who said he couldn’t make the 10-minute walk from his apartment to our downtown office because it was raining and he couldn’t find his umbrella. Not exactly “greatest generation” material.

Back on the Farm

When Eric quickly shook off the hit-by-pitch the other night, memories of growing up with my dad, grandpa, and uncle on our farm flashed into my head.

I recalled the countless times I saw them suddenly cut their hands working on machinery, fixing a fence, or getting pinched between a gate and heavy livestock. I would notice the blood and point it out. My remark would usually get them smiling as they carelessly wiped their hands on their shirt or jeans before returning to their job like nothing had happened.

I think about my mom in her early 70s still taking care of things around our 10-acre farm. I picture her working outside in the summer wind and heat, using a push mower on the bank of grass between the blacktop and our house.

I am thankful for my niece, who gritted through this recent college softball season. She probably never felt better than 50-60% but kept showing up game after game, not only with her bat but as a courageous example for her teammates.

Next in Line

While Eric is growing up as a city kid, I am happy he has picked up this toughness. As his dad, I know I am his most critical role model in this area.

But to hammer the message home, I hung up Rudyard Kipling’s “If” poem on his bedroom wall, alongside an autographed black-and-white photo of Iowa’s all-time best baseball player/farmer, Cleveland Indians’ hall of fame pitcher Bob Feller (my grandpa’s favorite). Next to those items is a framed photo of Derek Jeter’s famous catch where he dove headfirst into the Yankee Stadium seats to snare a pop-up against the Red Sox.

We watch the “Rocky” movies and “Pride of the Yankees” together. We check out the recent Nolan Ryan documentary. And we stream “The Last Dance” to watch a young Michael Jordan risk his career by returning early from a foot injury to help the outmanned Chicago Bulls make the playoffs, where he scored a record 63 points in a losing effort to Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics.

Most of all, I look for ways to surround my kids with people who demonstrate this same fortitude. I travel back to Iowa at least three times every year so the kids spend more time with their grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins who approach life the same way.

Cowboy Up

As I went to bed on Father’s Day, I wasn’t ready to sleep. I scrolled through our video library and landed on “8 Seconds,” the 1994 movie about the legendary bull-rider Lane Frost, a show Dad always liked.

While watching, it struck me that a lot of people right now could use a kick in the butt like the one Tuff Hedeman gives to Lane.

The sooner, the better.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, Grandpa, and Uncle T, for passing down this tradition of toughness to my brothers and me.

We will do our best to keep this spirit alive.

Links:

• 8 Seconds (Director John Avildsen - “Rocky”, “The Karate Kid”)