Today, I was pumped all day. It is a feeling that I had since Monday. The day had been planned down to the last detail and was going along perfectly. The morning had gone as planned, lunch and dog walking for my mom happened at the perfect time, and the afternoon workflow was perfect. I was getting excited about the hours ticking away as the time neared for the final part of the great evening. You see, Michelle and I were going to watch a little baseball this evening. Not major league opening day baseball, but the kind where the dream starts for the kids and maybe, even some of the parents. Little league baseball was the destination. There is nothing like four fields going at the same time. Foul balls flying around, hamburgers, hotdogs, French fries, sodas, bubble gum in all the bleachers, and parents cheering on their little rug rats. It is a fantastic way to spend the evening, catch up with friends, and support the team that is wearing your name. Except, I didn’t read the schedule correctly and there wasn’t a game tonight due to spring break. Oops! I found this out about 3:30pm when Michelle called to give me the sad/bad news.
Excitement is something I don’t show well. Michelle has prepared some great meals over our almost two decades together. I mean, they are delicious, and I have enjoyed each one but for the first few years, she didn’t think I liked them because of my lack of, wait for it……. excitement. As I stated, I loved them, but she would ask, and I would tell her that they were great. It wasn’t what I said, it was the inflection that threw her off. After a few years she realized that I didn’t get excited to that level very often. This is still the case. My excitement stays internalized for most things. There are things that really get me going, I mean really get me going, but it is rare that I show it, say it, or let my emotions give away the internalized feelings. Kids chasing their dreams does get me excited. They play because they love the game, have a chance to be a hero, and if they win, (thanks Flo), they get ice cream with sprinkles. What can be more exciting than that. The crack of the metal bat, some pip squeak chasing butterflies in the outfield, and miscues that lead to an amazing number of runs makes the games a fun distraction from the everyday life.
There are other things that get me excited. Some of them are personal, others are familial, and others are from afar. I love racing. Really love racing. I will get up at anytime of the morning to go watch a race. Actually, this is beginning to suck a bit because I hate just being a spectator. There was a time, many, many, years ago, that I was a fairly good BMX racer. When I hit my thirties, I decided to buy a dirt bike and go off-road racing. Not good would be a strong statement but possibly an accurate depiction of my skills on a motorcycle. Starting in the beginners was where it was at for the first year. I then moved to the “C” level on a YZ125. I never won a race but did finish second once. That second was awesome, but I wasn’t even close to first. After finishing third in the series I bumped myself up to the “B” class and purchased a YZ250. New bike, faster kids, and even worse butt kicking’s but I looked forward to every weekend of racing with my wife and daughter. It was our time and doing my best every time was what drove me. After a couple of years of trying to compete with the kids, I decided to join the ranks of the old men but when you are slow you still finish where you are going to finish. I think I finished fifth once, but it didn’t matter. Those weekends gave me something to look forward to thirteen times a year. The anticipation of each race, the excitement of race weeks, and the soreness after each race were the catalyst that made me want more. Going to the races now, as a spectator, is fantastic but it only fuels the excitement of doing it again myself.
Having joy in your life is such a strong pulling power. This feeling helps push through hard tasks, eases the burden of crappy work, and even give you something to look forward to after a wonderful week in the trenches. Building excitement around something that pushes you forward is a terrific way to reach for those goals you may have been putting off because you just couldn’t find the reason to strive for it. Excitement can cause let down, if the dream is deadened for a bit, but if the goal is big enough the down times will be lessened and if the potential excitement is strong enough the doldrums will wane, and your positive emotions will again swell that feeling inside that can only be quenched when the event reaches fruition.
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash
Yes excitement in life is exciting and is so much fun!!
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