Do the right thing, and no, it’s not the movie.

Let me start this off with yes, I do watch other things besides hockey. Frankly, from the time hockey ends, there’s that awful thing called Baseball, which I’m thrust into by the love of the Yankees and Cubs by my hubby and family. Sometimes, I don’t get it. Other days, I get it.

Like the other day.

Yes, everyone knows. Derek Jeter hit his 3,000th hit. It was a homer. It was amazing. He is now part of this exclusive club that few players get inducted into.

But that’s not what I’m all in a lather about. Honestly.

It is the way the court of public opinion has crucified the young man that caught the ball and didn’t ask for monetary compensation to return the ball to Jeter.

The young man wanted to do the right thing, and return it. Just to go and present it to Jeter was enough for him.

But not for the public.

They went gonzo, talking about how this kid gave up masses of money and the team can afford it.

But you see, this guy did the right thing. He just asked to present the ball to Jeter.  Derek Jeter worked for it, so he figured that he should have the ball.

Seems logical to me.

 

Think of it this way: You work hard all of your career, and whammo, your proof of everything you worked for goes into the crowd and then money is extorted from you and your organization for it? Yeah, no.

 

What kills me is that we’re telling our children and students and anyone around us to think before they act and to do the right thing.  We tell them to be “Godly” and in some circles to consider it a “mitzvot.”

Why then are we as a collective society decrying a guy who is embodying everything we constantly tell our children? Why are we slamming him for doing what is right, good and honest?

I don’t know. I don’t know why we do such things as a society.

 

For us here at Chez E. Nowhere, We made this a teachable moment. We talked to Isaac about how we do the right thing, and in this case, the right thing was to get that ball to its rightful owner.

 

That would be Derek Jeter.

 

So, to the young man who made that lesson in morals possible, Thank you. Thank you for doing the right thing and showing the world that there is more to being a good person than just saying it. Actions truly speak louder than words.