Gene Moore

He was a baseball prodigy. At the age of fifteen, Gene Moore was a boy, playing like a man, in a game where men, play like boys.

Headed for baseball stardom with the Brooklyn Dodgers, his destiny was interrupted by
Pearl Harbor.
His life... and
maybe our
national
pastime...
would be
forever altered.

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We all dream. The younger we are, the more grandiose our dreams. We dream of playing in the World Series or the Super Bowl. We dream of Olympic Gold medals and of sinking the winning put in the Masters. As we get older our dreams change and for some, the dreams become reminders of what we have not accomplished in life and we begin suppressing them to the point that we no longer dream.

Dreaming is important. If we do not have hope in our life, our journey can become unbearable. I often say as I speak and write, "It takes the same amount of energy to dream small as it does to dream big, so always dream big dreams!" When expounding this philosophy, I am often met with those who tell me that dreaming big only leads to heartbreak or that dreaming at all is a waste of time. I am lectured that life is not fair and you have to take what fait dishes out. I am told that to make it to the top is either luck or good connections, because it is either being at the right place at the right time and not what you know but who you know that makes the difference. Unfortunately, there is some truth to it all. Life is not fair and by dreaming big, you do place your feelings in a position to be hurt, or even crushed. So yes, being in the right place at the right time is important and good connections can help you along the way. Ultimately, after the luck and connections, the keys to success are hard work and ability, armed with a dream worthy of pursuit. You can be the luckiest person alive and know all the right people, but if you are not good enough to make the grade, luck and connections cannot make it so.

Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, a World at War and a Field of Broken Dreams is the story of a boy, Gene Moore, who chased his dreams with passion and unwavering focus on his goal of playing baseball in the Major Leagues. It is a story of life and what happens to us along the way. But the message of the story is that it is not important what we receive as our reward for pursuing our dream. The prize is not the achievement of the goal, but the true reward is what we become as a result of the pursuit. Gene Moore became a better man, a good husband and father because of his journey. He obtained more by striving for his dream than he would have ever gained in the attainment of the dream. His reward was that he became a better person. He became a hero to his friends and family, not because of what he did but because of who he became.

So yes, dream big dreams. Stretch your capabilities and talents to the limits while reaching for the brass ring. Perform as though failure is not an option, but understand that the true blessing of the dream is the gift of who we become in the process, win or not. A career in the Major Leagues can be a beautiful thing, but becoming an outstanding human being, friend, father and husband is more important. Gene Moore learned this secret. Now it is your turn.

How has Playing with the Enemy touched you? I would love to hear from you.

Gary (gmoore@playingwiththeenemy.com)