The Curveball.
All batters love a pitcher that is predictable and limited when it comes to types of pitches in his arsenal. The fastball, although difficult to hit at times due to sheer speed, becomes an easy pitch to make contact with once the batter has adapted to the velocity.
Life can be compared to baseball in this sense. At times you feel as though you know what to expect out of each day (The Fastball), and at other times, you get caught unexpected (The Curveball).
Living in New York City, I've become familiar with the rat race. Each day waking up at 5am in the morning, working out, making breakfast, and getting on a subway that is packed to the point that there are no seats available, only to get to the office, stare at a computer screen all day, then go to bed, and do it all again the next day. It’s a fast paced lifestyle that is standard for everyone living in the city.
This can be compared to the fastball. It’s fast paced, but you know what to expect, and because of that, you’re able to adapt.
Picture this fast paced lifestyle with a wrench thrown into it. In my case, an eye irritation caused by allergies and accelerated by contacts that only irritated the eyes more + living in an apartment that has rails outside the windows which prevent the installation of an air conditioner. So, the rat race remains constant, but now include the eye irritation which causes puffy eyes, insecurity, a lack of confidence, the need to wear glasses, and pair that with hot summer days with no air conditioner. This can be compared to a curveball. It’s something you did not expect, and also something that takes awhile to get accustomed to. If a pitcher is known for throwing fastballs, then suddenly throws a curve, the batter is almost guaranteed to miss the ball.
So, how does a batter adjust to the new pitch being thrown?
Well, first thing to note in the game of baseball is that more often than not, the batter is going to miss the ball and not get on base. This year in the MLB, the batting average is .248. With 1.0 being the best possible batting average, .248 is what the MLB as a whole averages. That means each time a batter steps up to the plate, he is not getting on base more than half the time. More than half the time the best players in the world are failing!
Okay, let’s correlate that to life. Yes, professional baseball players are in a league of their own, but professionals in the workforce need credit as well — especially in a city as bustling as NYC.
Yes, at times the work is repetitive (dependent upon the industry), but I've come to expect the unexpectable since working almost 2 years in the commercial real estate industry. Whether it is a client needing a project complete a week early, my boss telling me to finish an assignment by Monday morning and ruining my weekend, or having to step in to give a tour when no one else would, the corporate world has it’s curveballs too.
This one is just a bit different. A freak incident caused by a bad allergy season has caused me to lose my confidence. Yes, this isn’t the first time I’ve lost my confidence. I can pinpoint numerous examples when performing poorly in sport caused me to lose confidence. But to lose confidence because the way you look? How do you adapt to that?
I’m considering putting all extracurricular social interaction on hold until this season I'm in passes over, but the opportunities I’ve been blessed with in this season are as good as it gets.
What do I do?
Do I suck it up, deal with the insecurity, and keep trudging forward? Or do I put my life on hold, miss out on the opportunities, and wait until I heal?
I’m not sure.
This curveball has me in as big a slump as I can remember.