'tis the season

I love my job.

No, not my shitty retail job - I work hard for the money there and merely tolerate it.

I love baseball umpiring. The pay is nice and cushy, yes. But there's more to it than that.

I love working a job that I'm experienced at and do well. I've been umpiring for three years, have seen just about every type of game, player, or situation that could possibly arise. I'm good. And I get respect for doing a good job. But the only reason I'm good is because of the effort I've put forth at improving and the fact that I've been doing this for three years and am still learning.

I love the people I work with. I love working with a partner on the field as we do in Major league games. But most importantly, the players. Because I remember not too long ago I was one of them. I still remember how exciting it was to step up to bat or make a great play. I remember what it feels like to be disappointed, to strike out or fuck up in the field. I may be an adult, but I can still share their successes and failures.

And I give them advice. Passing on the knowledge. Sharing the mistakes of my past so that someone doesn't make the same mistakes I do sounds pretty selfless. But I do it for myself as a way of accepting the mistakes I made as a player.

It's this kind of work that makes me feel good. I'm going to miss it one day.