Bad Apples

One of my faults (and the list is long) is making assumptions about people based on how they look, act, or talk. I know that “assuming” anything about a person is a bad idea but I also know that the older we get, the more likely we are to make quick assumptions. I think it’s because we get set in our ways…and think our own ways are best. That’s not a good thing and we older people shouldn’t think like that. We need to keep an open mind and an open heart at all times!

Saturday morning my wife and I went to Irvine to watch our oldest son play Roller Hockey. It was the championship game for their adult hockey league so we didn’t want to miss it. As we sat on the bleachers a young boy about 9 years old kept yelling, “Go Dad. Go Bad Apples!” Apparently the name of my son’s hockey team is “Bad Apples”. The young boy yelled non-stop encouragement to his Dad and the rest of the team the entire game and it cracked me up - because as far as I could tell there wasn’t a bad apple in the bunch. All the men played well, showed good sportsmanship and shook hands at the end. My son scored a goal and the Bad Apples won the championship, but despite being tough hockey players with a Bad Apples name, they were actually all really nice guys.

I guess what I’m trying to say can be best highlighted by a story I read this weekend. It also happens to be about bad apples.

From Readers Digest:

My grandfather was a rancher and would often take us grandkids for walks in his apple orchards. He would find apples that had been partially eaten by birds and carve off the opposite side to give to us kids. One day I asked him, “Why don’t you give us the ripe looking apples that aren’t touched by the birds?” I assumed he was such a miser that he wanted to keep the good apples and sell them in town instead of sharing them with his grandkids. He patted my head affectionately and said, “Birds have a keen sense of smell and will only eat the apples that are the sweetest. So you see…I pick only the best apples for you!” The lesson I learned that day…Never assume, always ask!

I may be getting old and I may have some faults, but making assumptions about people shouldn’t be one of them. So maybe if I keep an open mind and an open heart, people won’t assume I am as old as I really am!

The Hockey Garage "Bad Apples" Win League Championship!

Your assumptions are your windows on the world.

Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.

~Isaac Asimov