He was becoming a baseball player.
Here is a paragraph from Chad Harbach's novel THE ART OF FIELDING. I am going to break it up into parts for more intentional reading. The passage is on page 47.
HENRY HAD NEVER FELT SO HAPPY. FRESHPERSON YEAR HAD BEEN ONE THING, AN ADVENTURE, AN EXHILARATION, ALL IN ALL A SUCCESS, BUT IT HAD ALSO BEEN EXHAUSTING, A CONSTANT STRUGGLE AND ADJUSTMENT AND TUMULT.
NOW HE WAS LOCKED IN.
EVERY DAY THAT SUMMER HAD THE SAME FRAMEWORK, THE ALARM AT THE SAME TIME, MEALS AND WORKOUTS AND SHIFTS AND SUPERBOOST AT THE SAME TIMES, OVER AND OVER, AND IT WAS THAT SAMENESS, THAT REPETITION, THAT GAVE LIFE MEANING.
HE SAVORED THE TINY VARIATIONS, THE INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS--TUNA FISH ON HIS SALAD INSTEAD OF TURKEY; TWO EXTRA REPS ON THE BENCH PRESS.
EVERY MOVE HE MADE HAD PURPOSE.
WHILE THEY WORKED OUT, SCHWARTZ WOULD RECITE LINES FROM HIS FAVORITE PHILOSPHERS, MARCUS AURELIUS AND EPICTETUS--THEY WERE SCHWARTZ'S PERSONAL APARICIOS--AND HENRY FELT THAT HE UNDERSTOOD.
[Within this novel there is a fictional book which plays a big part in the plot and story. That book is entitled THE ART OF FIELDING by a fictional major leaguer with the last name Aparicio. Henry had the book memorized. It was the only book he brought to college with him.]
EVERY DAY IS A WAR. YES, YES IT WAS.
THE KEY IS TO KEEP COMPANY ONLY WITH PEOPLE WHO UPLIFT YOU, WHOSE PRESENCE CALLS FORTH YOUR BEST.
DONE: THERE WAS ONLY ONE OF THOSE.
HE WAS BECOMING A BASEBALL PLAYER.
HENRY HAD NEVER FELT SO HAPPY. FRESHPERSON YEAR HAD BEEN ONE THING, AN ADVENTURE, AN EXHILARATION, ALL IN ALL A SUCCESS, BUT IT HAD ALSO BEEN EXHAUSTING, A CONSTANT STRUGGLE AND ADJUSTMENT AND TUMULT.
NOW HE WAS LOCKED IN.
EVERY DAY THAT SUMMER HAD THE SAME FRAMEWORK, THE ALARM AT THE SAME TIME, MEALS AND WORKOUTS AND SHIFTS AND SUPERBOOST AT THE SAME TIMES, OVER AND OVER, AND IT WAS THAT SAMENESS, THAT REPETITION, THAT GAVE LIFE MEANING.
HE SAVORED THE TINY VARIATIONS, THE INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS--TUNA FISH ON HIS SALAD INSTEAD OF TURKEY; TWO EXTRA REPS ON THE BENCH PRESS.
EVERY MOVE HE MADE HAD PURPOSE.
WHILE THEY WORKED OUT, SCHWARTZ WOULD RECITE LINES FROM HIS FAVORITE PHILOSPHERS, MARCUS AURELIUS AND EPICTETUS--THEY WERE SCHWARTZ'S PERSONAL APARICIOS--AND HENRY FELT THAT HE UNDERSTOOD.
[Within this novel there is a fictional book which plays a big part in the plot and story. That book is entitled THE ART OF FIELDING by a fictional major leaguer with the last name Aparicio. Henry had the book memorized. It was the only book he brought to college with him.]
EVERY DAY IS A WAR. YES, YES IT WAS.
THE KEY IS TO KEEP COMPANY ONLY WITH PEOPLE WHO UPLIFT YOU, WHOSE PRESENCE CALLS FORTH YOUR BEST.
DONE: THERE WAS ONLY ONE OF THOSE.
HE WAS BECOMING A BASEBALL PLAYER.