The Game

Herold Ruel and Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson

I voted. Didn't think I was going to, and that's why this is news.

I voted because I had the chance to, and because a previous influence had left me. You see, I used to have a certain friend who I listened to and felt certain this friend and I were right about the political process. I used to believe our process was broken. My friend said it didn't matter, that the underlying spiritual state was strong enough. The flow of Grace-ful intervention was going to allow for the Great Era of Peace to happen whether we voted a certain way or not at all. I truly don't think the political process is going to usher in anything. But I do believe

"that democ­racy is the worst form of Gov­ern­ment except for all those other forms." - Winston Churchill

What is the point in voting, then? Let me explain it in baseball terms. Baseball is never going to bring about world peace, nor will government in its current form. In baseball, the game is stacked for teams with big money, as in politics. However, we see that no amount of money can actually play baseball, unless it's the Geico dude, who is actually made of money. Not even the Mighty Alex Rodriguez guarantees a World Series trip or a post-season hit. Baseball does allow for some level of underdog to win. It's democratic.

Politics is like that. Who saw President George W. Bush being succeeded by an African American as the next President of the United States? Underdogs have a chance. You just have to allow that it could happen.

Of course the similarities are striking. Money seems to have endowed a certainty in a baseball or political organization that success is theirs. And to an extent they can win on that. But if a person comes in with the will, the vision and a level backing to boost them, they too seem quite able to succeed where lots of money and minimal focus and belief will see them beaten before they begin. See the current MLB champion San Francisco Giants.

So while anything can happen, and I'm not claiming to have a handle on pure causality, I believe that belief, creation and taking a step each day can create what we are after. Voting, like baseball, isn't going to change the world. We do that in our hearts first. I just like them both for metaphors on creating from my heart first. That's change  I believe in.