Opening Day

For those of us who grew up when baseball was America's game there is no day like Opening Day, and indeed, I  suggest that no other activity in American life introduces itself with as much joyous fanfare. What other sport has our President introduce its season with something akin to a first pitch? There is no presidential first pass in football, no first jump shot in basketball, or shot on goal in hockey or soccer. Only baseball has that honor.

And why shouldn't it?  Opening Day kind of personifies the American love of re-birth, of forgetting what is behind and moving forward, of hoping once again that this year is our year. Baseball opens with spring's first days; the sun is shining, the grass is growing, the birds are singing. Life is good.

Think I've gone too far? Well let me add this: I think it no coincidence that Easter and opening day are near the same day of the year. I mean no disrespect when I say that baseball's opening day has some metaphorical relation to the Resurrection of our Lord. The winter that is football is over. The sun shines anew.

I have been fortunate enough to attend dozens of opening days at the ballparks in Arlington and always love that first sense of the place: the green grass, the smiling, hopeful faces, the smell of hotdogs, beer, and nachos, the pretty girls parading about, and the sound of the first crack of ball meeting bat. God is good.

It's morning in America.

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The Texas Rangers played their first game at home of the season this afternoon. Opening Day score: 3 - 2. Rangers win.
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The un-erectable Erector Set.

A few days ago, Marian brought home an erector set for my grandson who is seven years old. The nicely packaged and handsome set of plastic screws, nuts, wheels and one electric motor makes, or should make, five different kinds of trucks. Just follow instructions, pictures provided.

As you might expect. No way.

Let me say before I make myself look foolish that I have re-engineered and assembled at home for my self, my wife, and my children everything from gas cooking grills, to swing sets, doll houses, bicycles and even Ikea furniture (the only item in the list that is easy). You name it I've assembled it, albeit never without calling the manufacturer every possible curse word related to God, the after-life, mothers and dogs. But I usually prevailed through disregarding the non-instructive instructions.

So when my grandson asked me if I wanted to help I said sure, thinking that a toy sold for ages 5 - 8 as self assembly would be nothing but me holding something while the grandson built.

An hour into what was supposed to be a self-propelled dump truck I gave up. I didn't tell him that I had given up because what we had self propelled, and that's really all he cared about --if you held on to the loose pieces rattling off the dump truck part.

One question for the erector set manufacturer. Could I meet the five year old you tested this on?
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O Great Mystery

Happy Easter one and all!