nature's zodiac

We went to a Lake Monsters game last night in an atmosphere of smoky mist. The stadium was packed, the players were hitting and fielding in spectacular ways, and the organ player was definitely a cut above average in skill and spontaneity.

Geo likes baseball, but like nearly all the other children in the stands, he loves Champ, the lovable Lake Monster mascot with the funny dance moves and ultra googly eyes. Towards the end of the game Champ was chased down by a crowd of kids and we joined the mob. A line for pictures formed, and when it came to Geo’s turn, he got a nice hug, an autograph and a high-five, and.. “next!”

But Geo had more to say to Champ.

“Um Champ, do you think you want to come over to my house sometime?”.

Champ gave a comical head scratch and offered another high five as he welcomed the next child. Harry and I started to try to appeal to Geo, “Ok, honey it’s someone else’s turn now” but Geo was in game-mode.

With his hands outstretched he continued with his pitch, projecting his voice above the crowd.

“You could play with my toys.”

Daddy gently offered “hey pal maybe I can email Champ later and see what can happen”.

Geo turned back to Champ and said instructively “Champ- we are going to email you. And then see when you can come over.”

We managed to get him walking away as we discussed the magic of what just happened. “You got an autograph and a hug! Wow!” The last time Geo had a hug from Champ was precisely a year ago at this same work-related event.

“He knows me now, so I think he will come over.”

In the smoky mist, nearing ten at night, we walked half a mile back to the car with Geo’s portion of the sidewalk being nothing short of cloud nine.

Though we had been hurrying him with respect for the other kids on line, we were also so impressed with his initiative to seize a ripe opportunity.

It reminded me of Abraham Maslow’s idea of “the Jonah Complex” named for the biblical prophet Jonah, who attempted to evade the mission imposed on him by God. Maslow employed this term to describe how people fear their own greatness and avoid exercising their own talents. As the first-century Jewish scholar Hillel phrases it, “if not you, then who? If not now, when?”

Leo Season is beginning Friday. Leo the lion is large with life, and life is large with opportunity. Remember to not snooze through the ones that find you this Season, even if they seem like long shots with big googly eyes.