She passes the farm each morning on her way to work. It really is a beautiful place; sometimes you might catch a glimpse of a gazelle or mule deer eating dewy grass. Over the past few days, the drive in to work has been even more exciting for her as she has caught a glimpse of a new guest to the farm, a giraffe, who is basking in the morning sun. “It is just so beautiful to see him standing there”, she tells me as we talk over the previous days events, “it reminds me of my time in Africa”. My grandmother visited Malawi on a mission trip within the last ten years, and she often talks about her experience. I can honestly say that anytime I see a giraffe, my mind immediately drifts to thoughts of the African plain. How awesome it would be to catch a view of a giraffe in the wild.... it is only slightly less awesome to see one down the road from your home.
My mother, who also works at our family business, chimed in, “Are you talking about the new giraffe by your house? You know that is just a statue.” Apparently, the petting zoo has purchased a rather large giraffe statue for some reason, and that is what my grandmother had been seeing the last few mornings as she drove in to work. She had not realized it was a statue she was seeing. “I was just amazed that each day he was standing in the same place”, she admitted, after realizing her mistake. We all had a good laugh about it.
I share this story simply for the fact that we are all like my grandmother. Everyone is looking for some sort of awesomeness to add to their daily life, to make it more beautiful. The Justin Osborne All America Wifflefest may be just the thing you are looking for. A one day, coed, double elimination wiffleball tournament which benefits children with down syndrome could be your chance to do just that.
