Page 32 - North Haven Magazine Issue 10 Autumn 2019

A Message From

THE FIRST SELECTMAN

any times in business, in sports, in government or life in gen-
Meral, we may have an initial interpretation of something occur-
ring that is totally different from the reality of what that situation
ends up to be.

One such example of this happened to me in July of 1999 when
my baseball team, the Cheshire Cubs was playing our arch rivals,
the New Britain Rockies, in a doubleheader. Late in the first game
of that doubleheader, we were holding on to a 5-4 lead in the last
inning when the Rockies loaded the bases with their power hitting
cleanup hitter coming to the plate.

I was playing centerfield and moved over about 7 steps towards
left center field with our left handed pitcher on the mound. The
first pitch was blasted to dead center field towards the 390’ sign.
As I raced to my left and sprinted towards the fence, I leaped and
caught the ball just as I crashed into fence at the 390’ sign, I bounced
off of the chain link fence in a violent collision and fell to the ground
while holding up my glove for the umpire to see the ball.
As my teammates in the outfield were congratulating me, I was running towards our dugout and I noticed that their
cleanup hitter was walking towards me with his bat in his left hand and he did not look very happy. When we met up
as I was making my way towards our dugout, he suddenly extended his right hand and congratulated me, and he also
acknowledged that the catch was sensational and he wanted to shake my hand.

What appeared to be unfolding that day on the baseball field ended up to be totally different than what the reality
was. That player whose ball I caught ended up with me as my teammate in the All-Star game that year and we became
good friends after being fierce rivals for years.

How many times has your interpretation of a situation that was unfolding ended up to be quite different from the
outcome?

As I think back on that day playing baseball, I always try to keep in mind that as situations unfold it is important to
keep an open mind and not draw quick conclusions on the hundreds of situations here in town that I am personally
involved with, whether they be in trying to solve problems or examining potential opportunities for the town.

The art of self-examination can be a rewarding one, and it sometimes can take tremendous discipline, but once mas-
tered we can see even more personal growth which can create even greater productivity for us both professionally
and personally.

Sincerely,
Michael Freda

18 Church Street • 203-239-5321 • www.northhaven-ct.gov