Friday, July 25, 2008

Softball




"Seagull" sounds something like "softball," doesn't it?. That's the only correlation between this picture and what follows.

Parks and Rec Summer Softball in Mathews used to be as competitive as the Olympics, and way more fun.

My mother was the one who first got me interested in softball. She played in the summer league with a bunch of ladies in their 30's and 40's. I had never played the game before in my life other than in my own back yard, barefoot, using a baseball (smaller and harder to hit) and an old wooden bat with a crack in it. I didn't even have anyone to pitch to me, I'd just toss the baseball up in the air and swing. For hours on end. There wasn't much to do around here.

My two younger sisters rarely wanted to play since they were too busy applying massive amounts of lipstick and curling their hair and fighting over who won talent contests and such.

The practices were behind the old Cobbs Creek Elementary School, which is now Cobbs Creek Post Office. My mother brought me to one of her first practices, and mentioned to the coach that she thought I could play. I was only about 15 or 16 at the time.

Now I didn't care one way or the other if I played or not, because as I said I'd never really played before and I was super laid back in those days. Everything was all, "Whatever." (I really miss those days. Really.) Nothing bothered me.

Except the look in that coach's eye when he sized me up. I could tell he just did not believe I was capable of hitting a ball. I began to think, "How dare he assume anything!" I started to grow a slight attitude. (By the way, that attitude has grown to world record proportions over the years. I don't know how to stop it.) But I was very young and skinny as a rake at the time, and a puff of air could have sent me into flight, so I do understand why he might have had his doubts.

Nevertheless, he allowed me the opportunity to hit the ball. He pitched me one, I swung, made contact, and casually placed the bat on my shoulder as I watched the ball soar way past the outfield and land on the roof of that school.

Chesapeake Bay Woman had just made the team. And her days of being Super/Hyper Competitive were just beginning.

And now, speaking of competitive spirit, I am off to beat my children in a game of ping pong. I will win. I always do. I simply must. There is no other possible outcome.

Except a hissy fit if I don't. Or a conniption.

Hissy fit and conniption. I haven't used those words in a long time. I like them. And they pretty well describe what goes on around here on a routine basis.

11 comments:

Bayman said...

CBW, I love your blog. Been meaning to post. To anyone who hasn't played ball at Cobbs Creek School, reaching the roof of the school was not an easy feat to accomplish. It is incredible that a slender young lass such as yourself could do it. I watched grown men who couldn't come close. You must have batted right-handed?

Unknown said...

I have never seen the word conniption in print before! I guess I always thought it wasn't really a word but more like a sound, like ack, or ewww, but with more syllables.

I love softball, or rather baseball. The softball is easier to hit but the hardball is easier to catch and throw (for me).

So now I wonder how many balls are on the post office roof?

I can't wait to hear about the ping pong fest! If you can't beat the kidlets, maybe you can get your sisters to come over for a game or two...I mean it is a competition,and no lipstick involvement required. Just don't mention the sinking boat.

Now I have to go play with my new laptop that refuses to find me a wireless connection...this is so greek to me.

Keeper Of All Things said...

I do think it's time for Hissy Fit and Conniption to make a come back!!!!

I grew up in Little Town USA where every night in the summer you could listen to all the baseball and softball games going on while sitting on the front porch.

Heidi said...

When you said off to beat your children, I had a moment this feeling - YES she beats her kids too!!!! LOL hissy fits and caniptions run rampant around here! But I never seem to be able to have one or throw one! LOL

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

bayman- Yes, right-handed. I always pulled to the left right up third base line, but I probably hit more to to left/center field that particular day. All I know is wherever I hit to, Mr. Cobbs Creek Coach was all right with it.

gj - I am willing to start a movement to get the word "conniption" back into popular culture. And you have a new laptop? Thank goodness. You learn the ins and outs and then I will call on you to tell me how to use it in the event I ever get up courage to buy one. I will need to surrender this dinosaur to the computer cemetery very soon.

koat - There is no fonder summer memory I have than the softball games. I can't imagine being able to hear games from a front porch.

heidi & bn - I throw conniptions on an hourly basis. I heartily encourage y'all to throw as many as you can. Better that than, for example, a stroke. Conniptions and hissy fits are really good for your overall health.

Hope everyone's having a wonderful weekend. - cbw.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, CBW, for flipping me a bird picture. I do love our feathered friends, especially those that fly around the great bay. If you spy an osprey nest with some birdies, I'd love to see it. I'm envious of your success at softball; I always wanted to be a star, but never realized my dream. I got so nervous every time I faced a pitcher I usually hit a miserable pop fly to the infield or struck out. Sigh.

Anonymous said...

That's so cute. My mom dragged me to her community band practices when I was about the same age, and I got to honk away on a tenor sax next to my friend's mom, while my own mom played oboe.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

kathy - There are osprey right at the mouth of the creek here, and I promise I'll get you a picture. One of these days.

Something tells me you'd be great at softball based on your height and agility. Spend a week in Chesapeake Bay Woman's Training Camp and you'd be good to go. (CBW's Mother would be a key part of this training, btw.)

sinaff - That is GREAT. It isn't everyone--in fact, it is no one that I know--who can play a sax. See what mothers can do?

Karen Deborah said...

Great story and two of my most favorite words. Ever heard "oun't" like oun't know? How do you spell oun't?
WHAT A HIT! Did you make the team?

abb said...

Conniption is one of my very favorite words.

Love reading your blog - you write so well.

foolery said...

What?

Ack and ewww aren't words?

Nuh-uhhhh! Humph.