Sometimes you can care too much about things that just don’t matter.
Some examples:
I play hockey in an over-30 league. It’s great exercise. It’s okay hockey. So the outcomes of these games are inconsequential. Yet somehow a player from the other team managed to get ejected from the game with under two minutes remaining for taking a run at one of our players, Ricky. Less than 30 seconds later the refs called the game because it was getting out of hand.
I also play softball in an adult, slow-pitch league. This is D league, folks. So, again, fairly inconsequential. It’s just fun to feel like your 13 again, pretending you’re better than you actually are. Sometimes the umps are good. Sometimes they’re just showing up for their $42. So they might make a “bad call” that doesn’t go your way. For some, this an opportunity to take matters into their own hands which turns into talking trash and heckling. Could be the ump. Could be players on the other team. Either way, it’s sad to watch.
Then there’s driving. I witnessed a screaming match between two motorists a few months back. She was pissed. You could tell by the steady stream of vulgarity she was directing at the man in the tiny car. I couldn’t hear what he was saying but her reaction suggested he was standing his ground. I showed up a little late to the scene so I’m unaware of the inciting incident. He probably called a ball a strike and she couldn’t let it go…
