The Daily Grind with Matt Clarke

If It Starts Raining, You Ain't Done

Written by Matt Clarke | April 24, 2026

As everyone gathered in the conference room, you could feel the energy. Almost like a large family gathering for Sunday dinner, there was a comfort between them that comes from a place that is both safe and familiar. An energy that fed off of one another and grew the more they talked. You could tell they did this a lot, and unlike those meetings where the energy is toxic and selfish, this was refreshing. There was trust. There was creativity. There was openness. There was teamwork. I was greatly encouraged as I sat with our team in Omaha, Nebraska, feeding off of their energy and fed by their systems and ideas. 

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was addressing the Building and Construction Trades Union with a talk on the value of hard work and the importance of communication. Opening up the event with a little humor, he told the following story, which was originally shared with him by broadcaster Danny Villanueva:

“Danny told me that one night, as a sports announcer, he was having a young ballplayer with the Los Angeles Dodgers over to the house for dinner. And the young wife was bustling about getting the dinner ready while he and the ballplayer were talking sports, and the baby started to cry. And over her shoulder, the wife said to her husband, Change the baby.’

And this young ballplayer was embarrassed in front of Danny, and he said to his wife, ‘What do you mean, change the baby? I’m a ballplayer. That’s not my line of work.’

And she turned around, put her hands on her hips, and she communicated.

She said, ‘Look, buster, you lay the diaper out like a diamond, you put second base on home plate, put the baby’s bottom on the pitcher’s mound, hook up first and third, slide home underneath, and if it starts to rain, the game ain’t called, you start all over again.’”

Now that was clear communication. I've always believed that saying "It's not my job" is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If there is something to be done, it is your job.  

If it seems beneath you or you don't want to step up and be responsible, then your job is meant for someone who will.

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

Following the speech, as Reagan was leaving the Washington Hilton Hotel, he was shot. Even in the chaos of the ensuing life-saving treatment, he never thought of himself as too important. He tried to ease the emotional burden for others, quipping to his wife Nancy, "Honey, I forgot to duck," and to the surgeons right before anesthesia, "I hope you are all Republicans". It was that type of disarming humor that endeared him to people, regardless of political beliefs.

Don't take yourself so seriously that you miss the diaper that needs to be changed right in front of you. Whatever needs to be done is your job. If you need help, ask for it, but don't assume other people speak your language. If you want it done properly, explain it in a language they understand. And remember to duck. Duck the arrogance, duck the job title, and duck any judgment or bullets thrown your way. Serve others without exception. You don't have to like them or have the same beliefs, just serve. In doing so, you will imitate the one who took the bullet on your behalf. And remember, life throws you curveballs. If it starts to rain, you ain't done, you start all over again.
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