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  Jace Carlton
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Monday,
September 29, 2008
A Change
In
Perspective
WOW! What a week we've just been through! It seems like the closer we get to the Presidential election in November, the more intense each week becomes! As I was getting ready for the Presidential debates Friday evening I was looking for a tape so I could record it in case I wanted to refer back to any specific comment made by either candidate. As it turned out I came across a tape that was missing its label, and what I found, saved for time (but probably not eternity!) was a baseball game. Not just ANY baseball game, but one dated Sept. 6, 1995. The California Angels were in Baltimore to play the Orioles, but not just ANY Orioles team ... this one was special, and this particular night was special because of one man, a legend in baseball history even six years before finishing his career. Perhaps you, too, remember that night ... the night Cal Ripken, Jr. set the major league record for most consecutive games played in a career, a record that had previously been held by the New York Yankee great, Lou Gehrig. Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games seemed insurmountable, and many thought it could never be broken, but on Sept. 6, 1995, as the Angels finished the top half of the fifth inning and the game became official, Cal Ripken, Jr. held the new record of 2,131! What occurred next is what truly made me forget about politics, the election, the financial crisis, the gas shortage, and everything else, for that matter. I was locked in that moment, watching as the Orioles left the field to get ready for the bottom half of the inning, and the capacity crowd in excess of 50,000 cheering fans stood to give Cal a standing ovation that lasted more than 22 minutes! 22 MINUTES!!! What an amazing feeling it must have been to have experienced that moment in the stadium ... the fans, all of Cal's teammates and coaches, all of the Angel's players and coaches, all four umpires, and all the stadium personnel rising to pay tribute to one of the greatest baseball legends of all time. In fact, that moment was selected as Major League Baseball's "Most Memorable Moment" in baseball history! With all of the pressure we're all under each day, with all of the struggles each of us has to deal with in our lives, with each frustration and disappointment we face, it's good to remember that every day has the potential to bring something special into our lives, most times when we least expect it. I had been hoping to find a blank tape, but what I found in its place was a treasure ... and a reminder. A reminder that there are good people in this world, doing things they love just for the simple joy of it, and in turn they make each of our days better ... and what a treasure that is. My thanks to all of you who go about your daily lives, striving your best to do what's right, simply because it's truly the right thing to do, and not for any special acknowledgment or reward. You're all heroes in my book. Keep on keeping on because you ARE making a difference in someone's life ... whether you realize it or not. YOU are what America is all about! And YOU make all of America proud! God Bless America! P.S. Cal Ripken, Jr.'s record for most consecutive games played is 2,632! Jace
Carlton
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Copyright © 2008, Jace Carlton