I took a trip out to Okotos, Alberta recently and ended up at a baseball game at Seaman Stadium, home of the Okotos Dawgs. It’s a great spot to watch a game, but what really caught my attention wasn’t the baseball, it was two words painted right on the field: “Don 100.”
I had no idea what that meant at the time. Later I learned the stadium was built by Don Seaman, a local philanthropist who had a personal goal to live to 100. He actually missed it by just 17 days, which somehow makes the whole thing even more inspiring.
When I first sat down in those stands, I’ll be honest. I was feeling every ache, every creak, every reminder that I’m not exactly getting younger. I wasn’t thinking about big dreams or long futures. More like wondering why my body seems to have developed its own collection of sound effects.
But sitting there, staring at “Don 100,” something shifted. Here was a guy who set a huge goal for himself and chased it with everything he had. He didn’t quite make it, but he lived toward it.
And meanwhile, I was sitting there… kind of wallowing.
So I made a decision, nothing dramatic, just a quiet promise to myself. I might not care about hitting 100, but I do care about making the years I have feel more like something I’m actively living, not just drifting through. Less worrying about what I’ve lost, more focusing on what I can regain, maintain, explore, or just appreciate.
Don Seaman didn’t reach his goal, but he reached for it. And that’s the part that stuck with me.
Funny how a baseball game can give you a little nudge to get moving again
