Playing for Pizza: A Story of Self-Containment

Happiness Comes with Inner Peace, Not Material Goods

Rick Dockery is a third-string NFL quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, who throws three interceptions in 11 minutes in the AFC championship game, blowing a 17-point lead and resulting in the Browns missing their chance at their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Carried off the field on a stretcher, he is cut from the team, vilified in the press, and faces additional legal troubles due to a questionable paternity lawsuit.

His agent Arnie tries to find him work in the NFL, but no team will take him. Arnie manages to find him a starting position for the Parma Panthers of the Italian Football League for meager compensation. Despite early problems, results ensue, and Italy and the team are growing on Rick. He begins to feel some loyalty to them despite the fact that Arnie has found a more lucrative job offer with a more respected Canadian Football League team. Rick decides to honor his contract with the Parma Panthers for the rest of the season and soon committed himself to another season with the Panthers.

— Extracted from Wikipedia with some amendments.

Playing for Pizza is a novel by world-renowned author, John Grisham. A departure from his usual work of thrillers and crime fiction, the story is surprisingly light-hearted yet full of wisdom. While it is not what I would have expected from Grisham, and yes I did read a lot of his books, this book has a special place in my heart since I read it for the first time a decade ago. Thinking back, it may have been one of the catalysts to transform the way I approach life today.

You can be happy with less

Despite being a third-stringer, from being an NFL player that comes with a relatively big paycheck to a marque player in an obscure football league in Italy where the majority of the players are part-timers, Rick has to adjust to a shocking change of lifestyle. Gone are the intense media attention and the comparative high life of convenience, to be replaced by playing games with only a few spectators, and driving around in a small manual transmission Fiat. In spite of the enormous changes, along the journey, Rick has found joy in living in Italy and reaping the most out of the situation. You don’t need more to be happy. You just need to identify what makes you happy.

As we are recovering from the pandemic and facing an unpreceded time of high inflation, it is crucial for us to understand and acknowledge that more does not mean better. It’s no wonder that more are leaning toward minimalism. What’s equally important is to identify what brings you happiness, and maximize that part of your life, rather than cluttering your life with the unnecessaries like keeping up with the Joneses.

Appreciate the small things around your life

Small can be big too if you let it be. Rather than focusing on the large aspects of life, pay attention to the little details that spread across your life. The hectic lifestyle that we live in today's world blunted our senses and sensitivity. Big words are being used. Big houses, big cars, big businesses, big networks. With a global reach enabled by social media, it seems like we are in a race against each and every being in the world. Always comparing. Always there is something to be discontent about.

We emphasize the slightest matter, several leagues, away from us, yet we conveniently disregard the tiny, important things that are right in front of us. We happily substitute human touch with our loved ones with screen time on some unknown so-called influencer.

It took Rick to be in a foreign country, different culture and different surroundings, to be sensitive, and to rely on the senses that were gifted to us in the first place. He has learned to make the human connection, immerse himself in a new culture, and be appreciative of the complexity of seemingly ordinary food.

Focus on the slightest details nearest and dearest to us. Bask in the beauty of the unassuming ordinary. Be content with what you have, not envy what you don't have.

Happiness is foremost

Rick decided to stay in Italy with the Parma Panthers in spite of a better and more lucrative offer elsewhere. Despite the ambition that he has had since high school to make it to the big leagues, he’s content with staying with a bunch of teammates that he now calls friends, a lady who he cared about like no other, and a coach that appreciates him for who he is, and surrounded by good food and marvelous scene.

As a 5 years old has shown us, there is nothing more important than being happy in life.

Happiness is a choice, not an accident. We have to choose to be happy on purpose every day. Happy people are not held hostages by their circumstances, nor held ransom by wealth. You can choose to be annoyed by someone who blocked your path, or you can be glad that it’s the reason you deviate from your usual path and hence a change of scenery. Perhaps you saw a beautiful flower, or hear birds chirping as a result. Focus on the positive.

You deserve to be content. You deserve better. You deserve to be happy.