Stand and Deliver!

A curve ball is something which is unexpected, surprising, or disruptive.  Sometimes you can do all the planning and preparation for something, but a situation arises, which catches you unaware and brings a new and often unexpected opportunity.  I am a great believer in planning properly and I enjoy seeing an outcome achieved from proper planning that was done.  But experience has taught me a few things, like realising that one can never cover every aspect in planning, things can change in the blink of an eye and no matter how you plan, you can never achieve perfection.  I used to conduct a number of appraisals and the interviewer and interviewee had to complete a score for each section.  Many times the person would give themselves a 10/10 and I occasionally gave a 9/10.  When asked why, I always said that you should leave some room for improvement, as otherwise there is perfection, which is unheard of in mortal terms, or a reference to deity.  Since we all make mistakes, we need to leave some room for adjustment and correction, even with the best.  Curve balls slow our momentum and they divert our attention.  They hold us captive in a place where we are uncertain and they hamper our progress, to a more or lesser extent.  Curve balls cause us to question important aspects of our lives and they may hold us in limbo, until we realise that they are from a darker source and need to be covered  in light.  Sometimes they may be painful and hurtful and make no sense, but they are always overcome with the light of support, love and strength of character.  It may be said that curve balls are sent to bring a message, or open our eyes, to a new way, or path.  Either way, the adjustment we make to them, can result in a better future, or a changed situation. In baseball, where the term originally emanates from, the curve ball is used to distract the hitter and make him uncertain of what is to come.  However, never forget that every curve ball pitch is eventually met with a batter who focuses that little more and concentrates for the opportunity being presented, in the midst of a seemingly impossible ball and that batter is usually the one who eventually swings that fraction later, or wider and ends up hitting a home run.  The game is always won by the person who makes contact with the curve ball and where others swing and miss, he manages to make a meaningful strike on bad luck, disappointment and unfairness and as he runs from base to base or along seasons of life, he has the benefit of the liberating feeling of crossing the line to a standing ovation.