Thought Connection: I'd Never Come Back!!!

This is a beautiful place. St. Petersburg, Florida, where the World Series is being played. It is a wonderful vacation place. It is right on the water, great beaches everywhere. Beautiful pier. Close to all the attractions of Florida...Busch Gardens, Universal, Disney World....but I have to tell you, if I was a visitor to this area right now...I doubt that I would come back.

Everywhere you go right now you see people with Mohawk hair cuts, even blue Mohawks! I am talking men, children and women. Then...everywhere you look you see 9=8!!! It is on shirts...on posters...painted on store windows...people are walking around saying, "9=8!" This is crazy!!!

Now just how many people are going to return to a place where everyone has these crazy blue haircuts and can't do first grade math??? They are going to say, "I'm not going back there...they're crazy!!!"

Ahhh but you all have to realize what is going on. It's all part of the game. What game?? THE GAME!! The World Series of course.

You see...the Mohawks are not really Mohawks but are now called Ray Hawks. It all started when one of the team members got one after a winning game, I believe, and then another and another...and then it started to spread. Now it is all team spirit in the area. Many who are reluctant to get the real thing or can't because of jobs sometimes substitute over the weekend with blue hair spray where the long hair would be!!! Some tape fake funny blue fur on their heads! Dogs get them! They gel the hair of babies!!!

I have to chuckle. The Mohawk was usually thought of as a hair cut of a rebel. I wonder what they are using now since it has become the norm??? LOL LOL

Well, that leaves us with the 9=8. What could that possibly be? Well, Manager Joe Madden , who supposedly likes to use 'ill-formed' equations which he often dreams up while riding his bike to clear his head, dreamed it up to stir his team. It really meant "nine players going hard for nine innings equals one of eight playoff spots".

All in fun! Win or lose...this has been great for this area. Not only for the team and the towns but for the kids...all of us, really.

We have seen that the worst of losers can come from behind and be real winners. You are never too down to come back.

The team has taught us you can lose...and you learn from it, but don't dwell on it. You put it aside and go on with what you learned.

You can win...but you learn from it...and believe it or not, you put that aside, too, and go on.

Because if you dwell on either one...it it surely will destroy you. If you dwell on losing...you will convince yourself you are no good and a loser. You will continue to be a loser.

If you dwell on being a winner...it too will destroy you. You will become over-confidant and sure as the world you will fall, probably when you are least expecting it.

It has taught us what being a team really is and what teamwork can produce.This team has given this area more than just a winning baseball team. It has given us a great lesson of life. I hope they know that.

Thanks Rays.

My thought for today.

Enjoy.