The last couple of years, Pat and I have gone to Sea World for my birthday (February 15th). This year we invited one of our granddaughters, Rachael, to go with us. We left a little later than we’d planned. When we hit I-4, east of Tampa, we ran into traffic proceeding at such a pace that snails were easily passing us. We never found any reason for the slowdown.

Once we arrived, Rachael downloaded Ol’ Sparky. We put all our various and sundry accouterments in the saddle bags and entered My Favorite Place, Sea World. Perhaps one of the reasons I like it so well is because there are so many creatures from nature who are larger than I! (g)

Well, Rachael petted a dolphin and fed him/her some sardine looking fish. Those dolphins really know how to work the crowd! I got to thinking about how smart the folks are who not only get their dolphins fed, but get humans to do the feeding AND pay for the privilege!

We saw some huge Manatees above and below the water. So gentle, these endangered creatures. All of them are in rehabilitation. Most of them had scars on their backs, put there by boat propellers.

One of the coolest places on the property was the Penguin Encounter. What entertaining animals! So many different species. Of course, watching Seymour, the walrus, and Clyde, the otter, help discover a pirate map was lots of fun.

Pat and Rachael rode one of those boats down a flume and got soaked. I stayed on the ground and tried to get a decent picture. I also chuckled at the sight of them wringing water out of their clothes!

Shamu was so important to us, we saw two different shows. During the first show, all the smaller Shamus treated us to leaps, dives, tail waves, and various other “learned behaviors”. The announcer warned us many times about the splash zone that included at least the first fourteen rows. When Big Shamu (15,000 pounds) performed, the announcer LOUDLY mentioned that Shamu was capable of splashing above 14 rows. That is where we were sitting. Others left for drier environs, but not Brave Ol’ Jerry!

Just as the sun was setting, we went back to Shamu Stadium for the final show. Again, the whales did an excellent job. When the final act, Huge Shamu, entered through the underwater gate, there was an audible gasp. What a magnificent creature. Again, the announcer warned us about our vulnerability. Well, I’ve been to Sea World whole bunches of times and have never been splashed. I was a bit cocky and defiant! I hollered at Pat, as she retreated to a safe place, that I’d just stay where I was.

I’m sure you already know the ending to this story. Shamu hit a home run with his tail! A huge wave of water quickly engulfed the seats row by row by row. It swept past row 14 like it had a mind of it’s own. Fifty-five degrees. Salt water. I couldn’t get out of the way quickly enough. Now it was my turn to wring cold water out of my clothes. I was drenched. Still had to drive two hours home. What a neato ending to a birthday celebration!

This last experience started me thinking. In college, we used to say to each other, “I tol’ you once; I tol’ you twice; I ain’t gonna tol’ you again.” I’d had a lot more warnings than two, not only last Thursday, but on all my other visits. I just knew it couldn’t happen to me. I don’t know what I thought gave me immunity, but I took my chances. Yes, I was “tol’” over and over!

How many things come our way in life accompanied by repeated warnings from parents, teachers, Sunday School teachers, bosses, siblings, etc.? We’re told, even shown from the Word of God, that our lives would be so much happier and fulfilling if we’d pursue right and avoid evil.

I’d enjoy hearing your response to this piece. Share with me!  Use the “Leave a Reply” box below!

RESPONSES TO “MIGHTY CASETTE AT THE BAT…”

– I think if we encourage the, let’s say, “less coordinated” in whatever, it helps them actually do better. Encouragement makes us keep trying. If we are continually bashed down, we get such terrible self esteem that we don’t even care to try. If we are encouraged, it makes us want to try with all our heart, for ourselves AND for the ones encouraging us. As usual, you give us a good thought to ponder on!!!!!!

– I can empathize with this young lady because I was very much a loner as a child. If teams were picked, I was right at the bottom, if picked at all. Clumsy, clutsy, uncoordinated and all! Never had much real encouragement while growing up. Because my brother and I were a little on the heavy side, we were actually taunted by our father.

     I have since learned that God is always encouraging me to do my very best at whatever I do. I have a few close friends and lots of church family.

     As for the replies to your last article, I really enjoyed that newer, expanded (or whatever it was called) version of I Cor. 13:4-8. Very interesting and very encouraging.

– I was always the last one picked to be on any team!! Quite frankly, I am no athlete, to say the least!! I endured much as a child with my teammates!

     But then, on the other hand, I can really play the piano and organ!! Those same kids, as we got older, came to be saying to me, “Wow, you sure can play nice!” How did that make me feel? Made my day!

– Is it ok if I copy and paste your article about “Mighty Casette”? I moderate on a forum [Christian] and would like to share this with them. (It’s always fine for anyone to use my stuff. – PapaJ)

– I could easily relate to it, especially since I was “disabled” growing up. We found ways around the fact that I couldn’t run. I could hit and throw, so played. I am deeply grateful to those who made the necessary accommodations. I learned to enjoy that slice of life because of their generosity.

– I really liked this story. It reminded me of my little David. Someday he is going to hit the fence just like your heroine did! Check the latest at http://www.jubug.com. (David is the autistic son of a good friend of mine. – PapaJ)

– The one you wrote about watching the ball game really got to me because I well remember, back in my childhood, when I saw things happen like that. I was fortunate enough to be able to play well enough to get picked. Not the first pick all the time, but I did get picked. What hurt me was to see kids that really wanted to play and never got picked. They fought so hard to keep from crying. When I got older and bigger and situations like that came up again and sometimes I would be the first one picked, mostly because of my size, and some poor kid was passed over, I would tell the guy picking that I wouldn’t play if he didn’t pick the kid to play that he passed over. By golly, it worked!

– After reading your piece (“Mighty Cassette”), I remembered all the times I went through the exact same thing. Unfortunately, I never saved the day as your heroine did. We moved around a lot as I was growing up, never went to the same school two years in a row.

My life didn’t really change until after I joined the military. You are right. It is very hard on those who don’t fit into the idea of what is the norm. Thank you. This made me think of how I may be able to help others that have gone through the same thing.

– I could surely identify with your story. I had no athletic ability (asthma) while I was growing up. I was never chosen to be on a team. I’ve never helped any team win anything after the teacher forced them to include me. Sometimes I think being a kid was harder than being an adult.

     I try to encourage all my parents and their kids, but sometimes my expectations get in the way and my advice comes across louder than those encouraging words. Thanks for the reminder :o)

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