Field of Dreams

When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a major league ballplayer. I guess that's a lot of children's dreams. But I knew at about age 12 I would never be good enough for that. Eventually I became a journalist, not an award-winning journalist like Terrence Mann, but one who enjoyed documenting people's triumphs and tragedies. That's basically what "Field of Dreams" is all about for me. It features the ups and downs of life, and how we handle the good and the bad through life's journey. This is one of those movies that brings out many kinds of emotional responses as you watch it. I especially love the scene when James Earl Jones delivers his message about baseball and how it has marked the time in America. He has the perfect voice for reflecting on how baseball represents the innocence in us. I became a huge baseball when it was instilled in me as a 5-year-old child. And my love for this game has never wavered despite all the ugliness in today's professional game that exposes it mostly as a multi-billion dollar business where team loyalty is disregarded. When I attend a ballgame (pre Covid-19), all that ugliness is temporarily forgotten about as I "walk out to the bleachers, sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon". Many times I try to make a point of watching this movie just prior to the MLB season's opening day. I remind myself this game can represent the good in humanity despite the greediness it shows among those who run it.