Critics were once described as people who roam the battlefield after the battle is over and shoot all the wounded. All too often a theater critic is a frustrated playwright. A movie critic is a frustrated filmmaker. A music critic is somebody who gave up the guitar when faced with the F chord. And on and on it goes. Loving something, but not being able to DO it, can be mighty frustrating. It’s what causes grown men who can’t catch a baseball to boo at major league players who can’t hit a curve ball. On the face of it, it’s absurd. A professional baseball player is more apt to listen to George Brett than George from the produce department at Wegmans, but that doesn’t stop the latter from pitching in relentlessly. George Brett already knows how hard it is, and isn’t offering his advice unless it’s asked for.
© 2024 Tom Flannery
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