Please check this out.
Last night Jon Lester, a 24 year old pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, threw a no hitter.
He allowed only two walks, allowed no runs, and pitched his first complete game as a major league pitcher. Those are facts which athletes depend on to back their claim for more lucrative contracts.
Though I continue to be appalled by the over the top, and obscene compensation of those whose contributions and appeal depend on their physical attributes, sometimes it's just not that obvious, that objective, that logical, that impersonal.
Last night we got to see the personal feelings of a wealthy player and a wealthy manager hugging, with tears of joy, following an exceptional performance by an athlete who had worked his way back from a life threatening illness. Manager Terry Francona hugged and held onto his pitcher Jon Lester for a time which by its length made us aware that it was not just a perfunctory expression of congratulation.
So much for the Mars/Venus simplistic model of behavior.
Senator Kennedy's health diagnosis has been greeted by most people with concern, worry and compassion. His history is well known. He has his admirers and his detractors, as we all do; his being far more public than most.
Recent accounts of the health challenges of these two human beings are public knowledge. One is of a young man and another is of a senior citizen; one is of a talented athlete and another is of a talented politician, and to be sure the value of their impacts in our society and culture are debatable.
Ironically the senior citizen might have received the accolades of his generation as a young man, and the young man might come to receive the accolades of his generation years from now.
What is in common in our culture, as exemplified by the stories of these two men, is that, to our everlasting credit, mostly without caring a wit for our own salvation and survival, we tend to rally around and support those who learn that they have life threatening illnesses, which only the most cynical of observers would claim they deserve.
Some stories are more well known, publicized, than others. The stories of Jon Lester and Ted Kennedy share the limelight this week. Next week there will be other stories, with a more or less impact on the public.
But next week the stories of others stricken by undeserved illnesses, but which are not followed by the media, will continue to unfold, play out as they must and will.
"None of us gets out of this life alive", said my wise pastor years ago.
He was an advocate for the idea that each of us figures out a way to bequeath something of value to those who will follow us in life, beyond financial assets.
Pitcher and manager showed us an example of that.
Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper
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