One of the things I struggle with in life is the idea that my experience is not the same as the person sitting right next to me, or across from me, or seven countries away from me. There’s an immediacy to what I experience and I often find myself operating under the assumption that others have shared the same experiences as I have. I know this isn’t true, never has been true, and never will be true but I can’t help falling into the trap of thinking that what I feel is the same as everyone else must feel because how could anyone experience life any differently?
This is where my writing comes into play. My writing, especially about baseball, has existed as a place for me to share experiences with others. The act of sitting down and writing why I think a player has been doing great, why racism bothers me, or what I dug up in my research of something baseball-related is incredibly cathartic for me. That being said, more than anything my writing has helped me to look for what others are experiencing that is different from my own experiences.
That’s not to say I am looking for people to agree with, or that I respect an opinion just because it comes from a different experience than my own. If you are spouting off racist bullshit it’s still racist bullshit no matter how different our experiences may be. However, the experiences of others have allowed me to think differently about social class, game preparedness, upbringing, swing paths, and so many other in-game ideas and out-of-game mores.
Most of all, I’m glad that I have an avenue to both write and to listen. My experiences are always changing and my writing changes to reflect that. This site, as well as the other sites I write for, have allowed me to meet great people and gain experiences I never would have otherwise. I’ve been wrong more than I have been right, but I’ve grown and learned to take a step back and allow for the experiences of others to help color my own views of the sport of baseball. Long story short, baseball has been very, very good to me.
Lead photo courtesy of Unknown – Unknown
