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We were taught that no matter who you are, or who you think you are, everything you have can be taken away from you in the sweep of a second. Nobody's immune from disaster, from crisis, from tragedy, or from loss, so no matter who you are or how you live, don't ever, ever get cocky.
We learned this, not just from the realities of our lives, but from the Red Sox. You might be way out in the lead, but there's always a good chance that Galehouse will blow the inning, McCarthy will pinch-hit for Kinder, Lonborg won't last on two days' rest, Aparicio will fall down rounding third, Perez will hit the Leephus pitch, Johnson will pinch-hit for Willoughby, Dent will hit the homer, Schiraldi will wilt under pressure, Stanley will throw the wild pitch, and Mookie Wilson will hit the ground ball. 2004 changed a lot of things, but not the lessons learned by those of us who know what it really means to be humbled.
Same message was delivered loud and clear in our household. My Dad's family lost all-but everything in the depression and my Mom's father's small diner got wiped out, so they had lived the losing-nearly-everything scenario growing up and worried everyday of their lives that it would happen again. That fear was so ingrained in me, that I have it and think about it everyday (every single day, no exceptions).
I am always surprised when I meet people and they don't think that way. I'm don't me cocky people (I have no interest in them), I'm referencing good, hard working, honest, charitable people who don't worry about losing everything as they just have confidence (consciously or subconsciously - in most cases, subconsciously) that the fundamental economic, government and political structures that their success and modest savings is based on will always be here. That comfort and confidence is so foreign (and seemingly peaceful) to me, that I am truly amazed by it.