I’m reading 3 Nights in August by Buzz Bissinger, the guy who wrote Friday Night Lights – the book, not the movie or TV show. It covers the Cardinals vs. Cubs series in August 2003. It is a well-written book that follows a three game series and how Tony La Russa, manager of the Cardinals works – along with flashbacks of interesting tid-bits on the game or the history of the Cardinals that elucidates the moments in the series.
One such flashback was moving today, similar to the death of Alexander Hamilton was for me when I finished his biography about a week ago. Daryl Kile was a good pitcher for the Cardinals, but in June 2002 he died of a heart attack in his sleep. I remember when this happened that I hastened to get a physical because I hadn’t for years, at the time. It was tragic. He seemed to have some kind of premonition. He wanted to stay on the phone with his wife, but he had to pitch the next day and go to bed. He seemed to know something was wrong.
The family aspect of it tears me up, like it did with Hamilton. It makes you think about how you’re living now. Am I living well? There’s an exercise I mentioned in the Seven Habits post (under Leadership, I think) about beginning with the end in mind. Think about what you want people to say at your funeral – family, work, church, and friend – and then live in the now so that those things might be said.
Alexander Hamilton and Daryl Kile are good reminders for me to write that mission statement and figure out what I most value – and then live intentionally in light of it. How ‘bout you?
One such flashback was moving today, similar to the death of Alexander Hamilton was for me when I finished his biography about a week ago. Daryl Kile was a good pitcher for the Cardinals, but in June 2002 he died of a heart attack in his sleep. I remember when this happened that I hastened to get a physical because I hadn’t for years, at the time. It was tragic. He seemed to have some kind of premonition. He wanted to stay on the phone with his wife, but he had to pitch the next day and go to bed. He seemed to know something was wrong.
The family aspect of it tears me up, like it did with Hamilton. It makes you think about how you’re living now. Am I living well? There’s an exercise I mentioned in the Seven Habits post (under Leadership, I think) about beginning with the end in mind. Think about what you want people to say at your funeral – family, work, church, and friend – and then live in the now so that those things might be said.
Alexander Hamilton and Daryl Kile are good reminders for me to write that mission statement and figure out what I most value – and then live intentionally in light of it. How ‘bout you?
No comments:
Post a Comment