The World Series begins begins tonight and I’m a huge baseball fan. I love the competition and as my favorite team, the Dodgers, try once more to win it all, I was reflecting on my writing. Some days I’m convinced I’m amazing and others I suspect I have no business even offering my words up for consumption. I suspect the truth is somewhere in between.

To make matters worse, I read other authors’ work and occasionally I cannot imagine how anyone got through a piece and other times I feel unworthy to even pretend I’m an author when I read the art others produced. Again, there is a wide variety and I’m sure the truth is in the middle.

So back to baseball. I have been using the word “champion” a lot to describe the players competing in these final games. I say things like “champions find a way,” and “if they have the heart of a champion, they will win.” Indeed one team will be crowned champions and the other not. But there is another layer underneath that.

Among each team still playing there are some who are far more skilled than others. There are “MVP” level players on each team. But beyond those, there are plenty of professional players who are good but not great. Some are probably even average and one or two below average.

I’m not mad at them, in fact I’m excited for them! They are professional baseball players and they are on a team that may win the World Series. They may end up as champions.

I may not be the best writer ever. In fact I’m sure I won’t be. But, that doesn’t mean I’m not a good writer. It doesn’t mean I won’t one day make an entire profession out of writing. It doesn’t even mean that I can’t be a champion.

Each and every player on both teams in the World Series has put in a ton of work and earned their spot. They are professional ball players and they have a chance to be champions. I love that.

So I’ll keep writing. I’ll keep working. I’ll keep publishing. I may progress to the level that writing pays all my bills and I may even progress to the level that I would consider myself a champion.

I’m in the game. I’ll get my at bats. I may just hit a home run. I promise I’ll keep swinging. Watch.