Pat on the back

Mona Shores Sailors Tony Walukonis, right, congratulates Brandon Geerlings, left, after he scored the third run against Orchard View Cardinals at Mona Shore High School.

For most people the word observe implies passivity.  The observer is a person who sits on the sidelines and merely watches the game unfold.  Enjoying the event with a hot dog and a beer.  The honor belongs to the man in the arena.
I am an observer, but when I observe my mind and my body are fully engaged.  I follow every play as if I am in the game.  Like a player my attempts are often failures, but like a good athlete I keep trying.  As I watch my mind flutters back and forth between predicting what will happen next and daydreaming about everything around me.
I muse about how all the different people come to the same ball park, but each one comes with a different role and a different objective.  The player comes to win, the umpire to keep things somewhat fair, the parent to cheer for their child, the other students to hang out with their friends, and I come to take the pictures.  Then I wonder about each person's true motivation.  Why do they really come, and what is their incentive? 
For me this photograph is an answer to my question about the players.  The players play not simply because they like to play the game, not even just to win.  They come to be cheered by their fans and teammates--they come to be patted on the back