[untitled] - Chapter Seven

This is an excerpt from my first novella.

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I’m seven years old. I’m sitting in Dodger Stadium with my dad. I’m watching baseball, eating a hot dog, and learning life lessons. Sitting there, in those orange plastic seats, I have no idea that these lessons, Dad’s recitations that were already ingrained in my memory, will come to shape who I become am as a person, and ultimately help me through the toughest times of my life.
“What’s the Number One Rule, son?”
“Be a good person.”
“That’s right. Now, watch the game.”
Anytime I thank him, he responds the same way: “That’s my job.”
I learn more about life between those innings than any textbook or professor could begin to teach. I learn how to follow the Number One Rule. I learn what being a good father is all about. I learn that being a good husband means bringing home stadium popcorn, feigning a good mood with your wife even if your team loses, and understanding her lack of enthusiasm for the greatest game in the world. I learn that your dad is your best friend. I learn that believing in something bigger than yourself, like a baseball team, is good for the soul. I learn that sometimes it’s good to care about something you have no control over whatsoever. I learn that taking risks pays off. I learn that even if you fail seven out of ten times, you can still be a success. I learn that through it all, Dad will always be there.
The most important thing I learn within the confines of Chavez Ravine is something I tell myself every day: “If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.”
Never have I felt the power of that lesson more than now. And never has it been harder to accept.
I’m anxiously awaiting the start of the new season, hoping for more insight.