Life lessons

As some of you may know, your Center City Correspondent has been laid low by his own stupidity. I was at the ballpark before a game the other evening, clearing my section before the fans arrived, and I hopped over the seats in row 3 and landed in the ER at Hahnemann. So now I’m on the DL, hobbling around on crutches, and waiting to see an orthopedist to find out what needs to be done to get me back on my feet and back on the job. In the past, an injury like this required arthroscopic surgery, but that was 20 years ago. I just hope there’s something still in there that can be fixed and I don’t need a whole new knee! And the Phillies are playing so well on this home stand, and I’m missing them. So when I go back to work, no gymnastics for me. I’m going to act my age. And a huge tip of the cap to Mrs. CCC – she has been so helpful through all this, ferrying me around, fetching and carrying for me. I’m certainly a lucky guy to have someone as sweet as her by my side, not only through these trying times, but every day of the year.


So now I get to sit around the house and catch up on my reading. It’s not often that your CCC cries, you know, it’s not a manly thing to do. But a book I’m reading caused tears to well up and roll down my cheeks this morning. It’s entitled “Think No Evil” by Jonas Beiler. It tells the story of the ten Amish schoolgirls who were shot by a neighbor back in October, 2006, five of whom died. For some reason, this shooting affected me more than all the other violence that has occurred in recent times. How could anyone single out the Amish to exact any violence or vengeance on? They lead such simple, Christian lives, who would target them? Mr. Beiler does not answer these unanswerable questions, but rather, he focuses on the part of the story that is equally inexplicable. That is, the forgiveness shown by the Amish community and the families of the dead girls towards the shooter. In our modern society, vengeance and hatred and retribution are the normal responses to such a shooting. But the Amish profess to be forgiving people, and they demonstrated it for the whole world by forgiving the shooter and his family, even attending his funeral and offering their condolences and forgiveness to his widow and children. How many of us could do that under similar circumstances? Forgiveness, not retribution, is bred in them from an early age, and to not forgive would mean that they are not Amish. I admire them for their simplicity, their Christianity and now for their compassion towards others and their capacity for forgiveness. We could all take a lesson from them, anytime hatred or anger invade our lives. Remember the little girls from Nickel Mines and the shining example that their families and relatives have shown us.

That’s all for now. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. Where would any of us be without you? God bless you all and Go Phils!!