A Ballgame Type of Day

Carol Bannon reflects on how when life moves too fast, she can easily miss seeing the ball.

I have been told many times I talk too much — not as a criticism so much as an observation. I like people, so whether I am at the grocery store, waiting in line for coffee, or just wandering my neighborhood, I look for a chance to connect. 

One day, an elderly man I saw daily at Mass bumped my grocery cart, and I saw my opening. Putting out my hand, I introduced myself and asked his name. 

“Lou,” he said. “Just Lou.” 

And then nothing. So I asked him how his day was going. 

He replied that today was just another ballgame type of day. He hit a few foul balls, had a few strikes, but he was still hoping for a home run. And then he walked away. 

A Baseball Game of a Day 

A baseball-game type of day? Lou’s words immediately resonated. I began to think of my own life. He was right. Some days I hit foul balls, other days I strike out completely, and still other days I seem to just take a walk, watching the day slide right by. 

And none of it goes unnoticed by God. Each inning counts. 

God knows when I hit that foul ball — an action my faith tells me is wrong, but I do anyway, maybe out of tiredness, frustration, or anger. It’s an attempt, but a self-sabotaging one, one that keeps me stuck in the batter’s box. 

Other times, I just strike out! This is when I forget to send a promised sympathy card for three months, or when I double-book myself, making conflicting promises to different people at the same time. One of them always has to give. Often, the ones I cancel on say not to worry, but I see their faces. I know I have let them down. I imagine God’s face when I stand before Him for judgment. He made me for a specific purpose, and after all these years, I am still struggling to be the person He created me to be. 

But the absolute worst is when I just take a walk. I am not swinging at all. I am offered chances every day to be Christ’s face to the world, yet I am too tired, too despondent, or too involved in my own worries to even see what is right in front of me. My mother used to say, "Don’t walk with your head in the clouds," and yet I do just that — except the clouds are more often than not, stormy ones. 

The Cost of the Fast Life 

Life is moving too fast, and maybe that’s why I keep striking out. That wise mother of mine also said that life will speed up the older you become, and she was not wrong. Days are gone before I even have dinner planned, let alone in the house to cook. When my children were young, I seemed to manage my time better. I had time for exercise, cleaning, teaching, and writing. Priorities centered around the home and work. Now? 

In my rush, I realize my one priority must be Him. 

God asks us to do one thing well: to love Him above all else. In the past, I thought following His commandments and doing acts of charity would be enough. But as the years pass, I realize it isn't. I've been trying to earn my way to first base, forcing myself to do more and more ... but at what price? 

Trust in Him 

And yet, who knows the workings of God? None of us do. So we have to do the next best thing, and that is to trust in Him — trust in His mercy and trust in His decisions for our lives on a daily basis. 

One of my daily prayers to start the day is the Anima Christi prayer, which centers and calms my mind: 

Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O Good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds hide me. Permit me not to be separated from you. From the wicked foe, defend me. At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you That with your saints I may praise you For ever and ever. Amen. 

This prayer provides me with the hope that, through His mercy, my actions are good enough. I know I do swing and hit more times than I miss. I take the swing, I try, and I pray every day that I will hit that home run, crossing Heaven's home plate ... into His arms.

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Copyright 2025 Carol S. Bannon
Images: Canva