Happy People?

I’ve been chatting online in an umpire’s forum and in that forum we had one guy that likes to put people down, particularly those that are not working at the level that he is.  I couldn’t take it any more, I had to let loose.  The following is the reply that I posted to his hatred.

One thing that I've learned over the years is that those that have to attack or belittle someone are in general not very happy people.  How miserable it must be for someone to get their self esteem out of putting someone down.  Anyone that puts others down to justify their own position are falsely inflating their status.

I don't subscribe to that way of life.  That way of life will bring nothing but heartache and bitterness.  The happiness that putting someone down is temporary.  While someone may get a rush out of belittleling someone it leaves a very big hole in their spirit.  So what do they do?  They have to find someone else to attack and belittle.  It's an addiction and the only way to feed that addiction is to continue in that addiction.  The problems with addictions are that they are never satisfied, they keep growing and growing and will eventually consume that person.

I get my rush out of reaching out a hand.  If I can find someone to help I feel good.  But this is where the difference is.  The good I feel is not temporary because instead the big downward spiral of addictions we build on each other.  We lift each other up.

We have one Mega-Complex here with about a dozen or so fields.  On any given evening you may see anything from kid’s tee-ball all the way up to college level baseball going on at the same time.  All of the umpires share the same dressing room.  Do we see the upper level umps berating the LL umps?  Absolutely not!  In fact it’s not unusual to see the big guys giving advice to the LL umps.

I once was a LL ump and yes I kind of stunk when I started.  But I was fortunate enough to not have someone come and tell me how bad I stunk.  Rather I had a couple of guys decide to pour in to me their knowledge and professionalism.  By them doing that I was able to work my way up through the ranks.  Now I do the same.  

One of the summer NBC leagues that I work we are always looking for good umps.  What do I do to try and find those umps?  I go right back to the LL umps and see who is working hard and doing a great job.  When I find those people I ask them if they would consider moving up.  We then work with them and we wind up with some pretty good umps.  Do I try to get the LL out of them?  No, why would I?  If they developed a good work ethic and sense of fairness in LL then they need to bring it with them.

When I made the jump from LL to NBC in 2001 I did nothing different in the NBC from what I was doing in the LL.  I brought a strike zone that was by the book and I brought my sense of fairness not giving anyone any favoritism.  It didn’t take long for everyone to know that I was there to do my job.  I came to call strikes and outs just like I did in LL.  By the end of the season I was a crew chief and in 2002 I was the head umpire.

I don’t say what I said above to brag, I say it as an example that anyone who works hard and does right can get ahead regardless of where they start at.  I also challenge anyone to reach out a hand and lift someone up, give them encouraging words and see how much more fulfillment you get rather then belittleling someone and running them down.  It worked for the Grinch and it can work for you too!

Be Blessed!

BIG SCOTT