Family Ground Rules

This is going to be sound like a really strange rule. My dad made it a point to always tell me, "Never swing at the first pitch." Obviously, this made complete sense. He was my baseball coach and I was one of the better hitters in the league, largely thanks to his guidance. And he was a good person to listen to. When he was 12 and 13, he led Northern Virginia in batting average and nearly won the triple crown both years.

And this advice worked until I could no longer play baseball due to injury. But, I don't think it was meant to apply only to baseball. My dad is at once a sage and a connector and he knows me well. That advice says take advantage of a situation through patience and observation. See how the ball (life's many choices) is thrown. How fast, what location, what signs does the pitcher show before a given pitch? With the world seemingly moving faster than ever, each individual is standing at the plate at young age. It is important that they are ready. Through an unusual and seemingly casual ground rule, I have always been prepared.