“Catch it! Catch it! Catch it!”

“Don’t drop it. Don’t drop it. Don’t drop it.”

The former came from a group of ballplayers to my left. They were waiting to play in the second game of a double-header.

The latter came from inside my head. Freshman Blake Wilson had just hit the first homerun of his college career. I now stood in left field hoping to catch it.

So how did I come to be in that position, waiting for the ball that would seal a win for the Washington Huskies?

First, you need a dream. For me, the dream is a simple one, to catch a game-changing homerun. That list includes grand slams and walk-offs. This homerun wasn’t either, but it certainly was game changing.

Secondly, you need to be in the right place. In this particular case, my years of watching hundreds of ballgames at Whataburger Field have taught me that the prevailing winds carry the ball to left field. I was certainly in the right place.

Thirdly, you need to be there at the right time. The other thing hundreds of ballgames have taught me is the need for patience. Impatience, at least in me, means a lot of moving around. I have a hard time staying long in one place. People ask me where my seat is when the Hooks’ season starts. I say, “I’m not sure. I never sit there.”

During a full game, little happens in left field, especially when no one is hitting homeruns. There is the hope of a homerun, but no guarantee. You have to remain patient and stay in place.

I want to get a little off script here because, as I’ve gotten older, I like reflecting on the life lessons I might learn with a little thought.

First of all, I wrote, “You need a dream.” Then I described my particular dream as a baseball fan. It is clear in my mind exactly what I am hoping to experience while I’m at the ballpark.

What I realize is a dream can guide a life beyond a ballgame, but it has to be both known and defined. What is my life dream? Can I describe it as clearly and succinctly as my baseball dream?

To be honest, I need to give that question the time and thought it deserves.

Secondly, if you have a dream, you have to take the time and effort to be when and where the dream can happen. I can dream of catching a game-changing homerun all I want, while at the same time, never actually going to the ballpark. Every dream has a place and a time for the possibility of fulfillment. I use the word possibility because, like catching homerun balls, there is the hope, but no guarantee.

On the other hand, it is impossible to catch even a foul ball if you’re not at the game.

I know whatever my life dream is, it involves writing. If you’re reading this, it means I at least got to the game.

So, what happened with Blake Wilson’s homerun ball?

The crowd roared. I looked in my glove, and to my surprise, I had caught the ball. My arms shot up in triumph and relief (living the dream can be pretty scary when people are watching; or reading).

P.S. The homerun ball went home with the player.