I am remembering a story – about baseball:

I belonged to the Flying Eagles and as each summer approached, we looked forward to baseball. Besides building minnow traps, minnow boxes, bird houses, a bus shelter, small forts, and chicken coops, I liked playing baseball.

The season of 1966, we had a walk-on to our team who lived in Marinette, WI, 20 miles away from our club. He joined our 4H club to play ball as a pitcher. Gary loved baseball and loved to pitch sidearm. Watching him wind up to deliver the pitch told you instantly that his pitches would sizzle across the plate! Everyone on the team tried catching for him, and everyone decided they would rather try a different position. I saw this as an opportunity to play ball and be an important part of the team, so I just needed to learn to catch for Gary. Could I do it?

After several games of practice, it became easier to catch for him, except that a fielder’s glove did not soften the impact of the baseball hitting my hand – more padding was required. My dad said he would loan me a few dollars, so I purchased a good catcher’s mitt, with lots of padding. As each evening practice and Sunday game went by, catching became easier and more fun. I was involved in every play, and was never bored – and I did not need to run to centerfield and back all the time. By the 3rd game, my new mitt was charred black from where the ball hit the pocket, and no one cared to take my position.

We won the league and Gary made it to All Stars for the county, and because no one else in the rest of the county would catch for him, I was named as All Star catcher! While I was good, my goal/intention was to be part of the team, play ball, and make a worthwhile contribution. It was a win-win for everyone.

That is a trait I still use to this day: find the niche where I can be part of the team, have fun, and make a worthwhile contribution. Tiny Green Cabins are a part of that niche and philosophy. Each cabin and shed is fun to build, and I view the building process as being part of the team of the buyer and myself, and we are making a worthwhile contribution to sustainability and our planet.

We also contribute 10% of our profits to nonprofit organizations or other humanitarian efforts. These nonprofits have to have a history of doing community service projects. Recently, Tiny Green Cabins contributed funds to help build a grade school in Cambodia, Habitat for Humanity, and Appalachian Service Project.