Well, eventually as I was growing up, my parents came to the dreaded conclusion that I had to get my first job. And I'm like, do I have to? And they're like, yes, Nate, it's time to get your first job. I don't remember exactly how old I was at the time. I think I was like 26, 27. And no, I think it was a sophomore in high school. And I'm like, oh, I don't want to get a job. But I'd looked and researched what different jobs were available. And I decided that I was going to be an umpire because umpires were actually paid really, really well. I would soon realize why they're paid really, really well because no one wants to do that job. But I thought I could do it because I grew up playing sports and watching sports and thought I kind of had it figured out what makes a good umpire versus a bad umpire

or a good referee versus a bad referee. There's really one thing. There's one characteristic

that where you can always tell if that person is a bad umpire. It's this. If you know their name, if you know their name,

that means they're not very good at their job because your job as an umpire or a referee is to

just be invisible. Do your job and go home because the game's not about you. Nobody came to that game to watch you.

But there are some umpires and some referees who show up to the game.

They're like, I'm a part of the game.

Some people want to watch me do my job.

And they won't just make bad calls, but they'll be behind the plate.

And they have these like wild strike three calls where they'll just be like, they're out of here, really just to, like, humiliate the batter. And then they'll, like, get in the face of the coach. They'll get in the face of the players, and they just really become a part of the game, and they want to make sure that people at that game see them do their job. So I had that in the back of my mind the whole time I'm

doing that. and they want to make sure that people at that game see them do their job. So I had that in the back of my mind the whole time I'm doing, working as an umpire. I'm like, hey, just be invisible. The problem is parents make it really, really hard because they yell at you. And most of what was yelled at me is like suppressed in the back of my brain. I can't really remember it. And I'm sure it'll come up someday. But one of the things that I do remember is when I was umpiring like a fourth grade boys baseball game. And I just, behind the plate, I call a strike. And someone behind the fence, he goes, hey, what do you have against my son? What do you have against my son? That was a ball. And I'm like, I don't really care about your son. I just want to go home. Then the next pitch, I call another strike. And then he's like, hey, I see what's going on. You've got a date tonight. You just want this game over with so you can go on your date. And I'm just like, as a sophomore in high school, I'm like, oh, if you only knew my dating

life, you would know. I don't have a date tonight. But the whole time I'm working that job,

I'm just thinking, hey, Nate, just do your job and go home. Just be invisible because no one

came to this game today to watch you.

No one came here to watch you. This game is not about you. Just do your job. Go home. It's not

about you. I start with that this morning because today we're going to be talking about marriage.

And I think the rules for a good or a bad umpire are the same rules for the good

or a bad spouse. You know what the worst spouse is? The worst spouse is someone who wakes up

every single day and goes, this marriage is about me. It's about my needs being met, my

desires being fulfilled, my dreams being reached. This marriage is about me. It's about my needs being met, my desires being fulfilled,

my dreams being reached.

This marriage is about me.

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