All Jimmy ever wanted was to play baseball. He dreamed about it day and night. He read every book he could get his hands on. He watched games for hours and hours. He bought all the proper equipment. And he practiced and practiced, then practiced some more. As Jimmy grew older, he looked for an opportunity to play. At first he was picky, wanting to be on only the best teams. But after a few chances, he found most of the best teams were already full and didn’t need him. So he began looking around, willing to play anywhere. But it always seemed he’d play for a while and then find himself on the bench, rarely asked to participate. He tried to make the best of it, happy just to be part of a team, but it wasn’t enough to just to watch the games. So finally Jimmy went to his coach.
“Coach, why don’t I ever get to play?”
His coach looked uncomfortable for a moment, then said,
“Jimmy, the truth is, you’re not very good.”
Tears clouded Jimmy’s eyes. “But I’ve practiced so hard and done everything I am supposed to. Coach, it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Sometimes Jimmy…that’s just not enough.”
