God, I miss baseball.

The effects of the global health crisis have been far-reaching. So many lives have been lost. Jobs, and various ways of defining ourselves, have evaporated like a canteen spill In the desert.

As a culture, our questions have gone from “What do I have to do in order to be safe?” to “How long is this going to last?”  We’ve gotten used to seeing TV talk show hosts speaking to us from their kitchens or dens. We’ve struggled to feel fully present at virtual graduations and zoomed birthday parties.

For me, summer has always meant baseball. It’s always been a welcome escape; an almost magical interplay of skill and serendipity.

I think it’s the only sport where the clock is not such a factor. Action does not take place in quarters and halves but is framed by milestones that exist outside of time.

I have been vaguely aware of a plan coming together for a shortened season. I don’t really know the details, but I have been extra hungry for re-connection with the sport, a hunger that can’t be satisfied just by streaming Bull Durham or Field of Dreams.

A few days ago, while on errands, I decided to drive past Wrigley Field.

Since the Ricketts family bought the franchise (about a decade ago), the iconic park and surrounding area has become much more commercial, but outfield walls still are covered with ivy, and there are still statues of OIC (Optimist-In-Chief) Ernie Banks and perpetually partying broadcaster Harry Caray along the perimeter of The Friendly Confines.

And the red and white marquee sign added to the structure in 1934…..wait a minute….

As I was driving by, the message spelled out in LEDs caught my eye.  During most summers, I would expect to see announcements for the next time the St. Louis Cards would come to town, or, since it became a venue for other events, something about concert dates for the Dave Mathews Band, not this…

END RACISM

Such a simple message. So perfect for the times. Like waiting for the Cubs to finally win the World Series, which took a hundred and eight years, maybe these are the perfect words to see NOW. For both, I have to wonder, Why should this take so long?

I’ve always felt shame about how African Americans have been treated in this country. My beloved sport of baseball perpetuated many injustices. I’d go into a mini-depression whenever I’d see biopic about Jackie Robinson. Why couldn’t his immense talent just be celebrated?  Why did the man and his family have to endure so much?

END RACISM. Is this possible?

We can start moving towards this goal by being willing not be defined by our past. Unlike  baseball, we can grow with the understanding that winning doesn’t require someone else to lose.

For weeks, I’ve been conscious that personal efforts to re-define myself seems to mirror experiences of the world at large, acknowledging that root causes of problems have to be re-examined. Progress needs to be recognized but will has to be renewed to complete work yet to be done.

Time Magazine recently published n article on the subject of racism in other places (“As Protestors Shine a Spotlight on Racial injustice in America, the Reckoning is Going Global”). It has been amazing to me that there have been demonstrations against racism and police violence performed in solidarity, also with awareness of biases in their own culture, in France, and Australia, even in Korea.

Then, seeing these two words glowing in a sign that I associate with love and resilience (there have been so many heartbreaks) maybe three miles from where I live filled me with an unexpected hopefulness.

Better than winning the World Series. It’s time for this. I’m happy to see the idea posted so plainly and visibly in Wrigleyville.

Understanding that global change is really about change and growth that takes place neighborhood by neighborhood is no small thing.