A New Inspiration

I was invited to a reception party a couple of days ago. A baseball team from Taiwan arrived in Indy to complete against other teams from all over the US. As a child growing up in Taiwan, baseball was THE national pastime, which still holds true today.

The baseball tournament itself, doesn't intrigue me as much. What intrigues me, is that the league players are made up of visually impaired individuals. Can a blind person play any sport? Baseball?  I went online and searched for information on "BEEP baseball".

What I found, wasn't just information about this unique and unusual sport, but a new inspiration. 眼睛是靈魂之窗, an old Chinese saying "Eyes, are the windows to a soul." Without vision, how does one see the wold? I can't imagine a world of total darkness. No visual stimulation, no colors, no hues, not even black and white. I watched several video clips online, they gave me new perspective of just how fortunate we really are. When I got the chance to meet the Taiwanese team in person, their spirits made me realize, just how trivial some things are. 

Many of us sit fixated in front of the computer monitor hours on end. Our time is spent in the commute to work, in meetings, in writing up reports, and in drafting up proposals. We are so busy that we can't allow ourselves a few minutes just to step outside and see beyond the office walls. Sad isn't it?

I chit-chated with several members from the team. Some of them had made the trip before while others were in the US for the first time. I could tell that they were excited. One member enthusiastically described an American player whom he had met the day before. "He was this wide and this tall.", using his arms to draw an outline, his voice ecstatic. "Lao-wai are HUGE!" he added.

As the reception party went on, event volunteers, members from several competing teams arrived. The weather was scorching but everyone's spirit was high. Some volunteers drove from as far as Kansas, Texas to Indy for this special event.

I hope I get to see the teams in action in the next few days. Let's hope our team makes it to the championship game and win it all!

Let's Go, Taiwan Home Run!

~ 加油,  台灣紅不讓~