The Prodigal Glove
By: James Cross
The Baseball Glove Lounge. One of the quietest, most atmospheric study spots on campus, only rivaled in volume by the sprawling shelves of Central Library and the eerily silent study space on the bottom floor of Stevenson. Each space is united by the ease of getting stared down for making even the slightest noise, but one is unique in its decorations and overall vibes. Long bar-style tables with a view of alumni, wide couches with tables perfectly spaced for work either by oneself or with a friend, and, seemingly most importantly, a singular chair in the center of the room. A non-commodore reading this might be confused at this point. “What makes a chair so special?” They might be thinking, but this is no ordinary chair. With a five-finger design and a comfy base, the Baseball Glove shaped chair in its center is the most important defining feature of the aptly named Baseball Glove lounge. Or so one would think…
A few weeks ago, without so much as a warning, explanation, or note goodbye, the Baseball Glove was silently abducted from the lounge that bears its name only to be replaced, Indiana Jones style, by two small ottomans of a similar color. Anyone who has ever tried margarine instead of butter, Pepsi instead of Coke, or that oat-based ice cream Commons Dining hall carries instead of real ice cream, knows that some things simply have no real substitute. Every masterpiece has its cheap copy. Personally, I was baffled when I realized the switch had taken place. How could they do something so drastic so casually?
At first, I thought it was a simple cleaning operation that might take a day or even a week, but one day after another passed, followed by an additional week without so much of a whisper of the Marvelous Mitt’s return. In the time that the Glove was gone, I had time to reflect and came to a crucial realization: We all have a little bit of the Glove inside of us. Now stay with me…
We, like the Baseball Glove Lounge, all have something fundamental that we allow to define us. For some it might be grades, for others it might be sports, and for others still it might be something entirely different. I’m not here to tell you what the correct option is or isn’t, but I can tell you that when it’s based on something and that something gets taken away, it really, really hurts. It feels like your whole life swings out of order, and you’re left looking for something that doesn’t seem to exist no matter where you search. The very thing that defines you is missing, and you just feel empty. Life seems to have a way of letting that happen right before exam season too, but there is always hope of redemption even in the direst of times.
Just as soon as I’d given up hope that the famed chair, which had been in that Lounge for decades, would ever be seen again, I caught a glimpse of a large finger in the corner of my eye as I was leaving Rand. Mashallah, the chair had returned! Just as it had left, it had come back without a trace, my very own prodigal son. Much like the Baseball Glove of legend, you too can always find yourself once more. At the end of the day, we’re each responsible for defining ourselves, and even exam season doesn’t have to strip that away from you.
