To Keep or Not to Keep

Did anyone watch TV in the last 24 hours?  Did you see the clip of the little boy crying his eyes out while the people next to him caught a ball?  It was at Texas Stadium during the Rangers-Yankees game.  They have played it on every "news" show. Tamron Hall showed it on her NewsNation hour on MSNBC.  They showed the clip in its entirety.  Her observation was that the kid was crying before the whole ball-gate.  It did seem like that.  I never heard from the parents on this, but the couple that caught the ball from the player on the field were either totally oblivious or totally uncaring.  Look, I can make an argument for both sides.  That adults caught a ball tossed from the field, not batted, is fun but not that great.  I mean, a tossed ball at what, .5 miles an hour?  A foul ball at 60 miles an hour is really something.  Anyway, I digress. This couple sitting next to the little boy bawling were over the top. It did seem like they were rubbing his nose in it. Hugging, taking photos, beaming, etc. while the little boy was crying and crying.  Now, I don't think that the kid should have gotten the ball because he was crying for it, but if he was crying about something else completely unrelated....

It is a life lesson that you can't get everything that you want. For children especially, it is important not to give in during tantrums and tears.  That is a terrible lesson to reinforce in a child's development, but if this child was just unhappy about nothing to do with the missed opportunity, then it might have been the empathetic way to go.  It was just a tossed ball.  Don't forget that, not a foul ball caught.  Way different!  Baseball players often throw balls into the stands to children, not to adults.  I would like to hear from the player himself. Was he aiming for the little boy? Was he trying to cheer him up?  

The couple with the ball did seem far out of control with their excitement level.  Kissing, hugging, beaming smiles, photos. Really?  Really?  A tossed ball. Did you get that?  They did seemed overly self-involved.  So, if anyone has heard the background story on this, I'd love to know.   

Sidebars:  Just saw the space shuttle Enterprise fly by mated to a 747 on its way to JFK, and then to its final resting place on the USS Intrepid Museum.  Thrilling to see!  May sweeps began yesterday.  Let's see what the networks think is good enough to get ratings.  Clearly, Rosie on the Today Show is a hit.  Though GMA is battling valiantly to stay on top two weeks in a row. That may be the most interesting ratings race this whole month.  We know American Idol is going down, down, down, down, down.  A belated congratulations to Guiliana and Bill Rancic.  We know how hard you fought to conceive. Anyway, it's Friday. Wishing everyone a very enjoyable weekend.

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