November takes its name from the Latin ‘novem’, or nine, which is this month’s theme. America’s pastime is a game of nine innings, nine players per side, with bases set at 90-degree angles and 90 feet apart. But unlike most team sports, there’s one big silent difference. There is no clock in baseball. By way of contrast, after each play in football, the play clock begins another 40-second countdown. In a close game, the final two minutes are a battle against the clock as well as the opponent. Baseball, on the other hand, has no temporal distractions; a player’s focus is never on the clock, always on the ball (which, by the way, is nine inches around).
While excitement is an important element in sports, time anxiety in our daily lives can be counterproductive. The hours of the day are fixed, but our days are filled with unlimited opportunities, temptations, and distractions. Our minds drift easily into the past and the future, places where no person can possibly live. Awareness of the finite nature of life (4,000 weeks on average) is a source of angst. To help with all this comes British writer and productivity guru Oliver Burkeman. In his current book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Burkeman takes a philosophical look at our relationship with time and offers the following suggestions:
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“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?”
- Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel Paige
I’ve discovered that my age has become a function of the time of day, along with activities. When the alarm clock goes off, I am 90. By the time I get to the office, I’m 70. Three cups of coffee gets me down to 40. Lunch puts me back to 65, where I remain for the rest of the day. On weekends, watching the Cowboys, Bears, or Packers, along with the company of friends and a few libations, and I’m 25 again. Televised sport is a veritable fountain of youth for more than a few.
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On May 1st, 1920, the Brooklyn Robins and the Boston Braves went 26 innings, making it the longest game ever played in Major League Baseball. Who knows … hopefully each of us will get to play more than nine innings. While we’re still in the game, it’s best to keep one’s eye on the ball, and not so much on the clock.
Copyright © 2021 - Any opinions are those of James Aldendifer and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. The information contained in this report does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of the strategy selected.
