Crossing hope's threshold
One game... One nation... We move as one
The road less travelled is often off the beaten path. As the early success of Baseball Philippines continues to make inroads into our collective consciousness, we are once again reminded of the pitfalls that have plagued our nation's progress time and again.
Be it on the diamond or off the field, one common theme that arises is the lack of unity among our countrymen; a phenomenon that harks back three and a half centuries ago and exposes our very weakness to the world at large.
There comes a time when we heed a certain call, when the nation must come together as one. However which way our lives have turned amidst this reckoning, we better get our act together soon lest we lose every good thing we have done for love of the game, not to mention the rich history of baseball permeating our very land. Satirical backlashes and political whim have blinded us to what is really at stake — nation-building.
The irony of it all is that baseball, just like other team sports, is a team game. Teamwork is paramaount to individual accomplishments. It is a game that cannot be won without selfless sacrifice. You have heard the cliche: "There is no 'I' in team". On a satirical note, however, there is 'me'. Subconsciously or otherwise, "What's in it for me?" overrides "What can I do for the game... for my country?"
How we respond to this call will either reflect a coming of age for the instrumentalities behind Philippine baseball or a reduction to a selfish cause of suffering.
One game... One nation... We move as one.
Sali Ka! Sali Tayo!