On the occasion that I attended a Minnesota Twins game Wednesday evening with the fellas from work, I was reminded of yet how different my own upbringing was from the way Sharon and I are rearing our children. I had forgotten what a carnival atmosphere surrounds the national pastime, especially when it is Major League Baseball. From the 20,000 plus people gathered under one roof and the constantly changing video displays and ads to the vendors and the metro train zipping by the dome, everything around the game is quite a show. And then, the game itself is quite engaging, even mesmerizing, to be frank.
I can only recall attending one professional game in my youth, but in my recollection, at least, we probably attended some sporting event at least once per week or two. (We did go to the Huron Arena to watch the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, and although both teams were professionals, {they were very good, and they were paid for their efforts}, it was not a real contest. ) The “other team” had to be good to look like klutzes, but their antics were as much staged as the goofiness of circus clowns.
I was thinking (as I always try to do), what a heady experience it must be for the twenty-somethings playing the game. I noticed one player was born in 1982, and would be the same age as my oldest neice, and another player was born the year I graduated high school in 1985. I don’t know the exact salaries of any of the players, but I know that multi-million dollar contracts (over several years) are quite common. But besides the money, it would be intoxicating just to hear 20,000 people chanting my name as I slowly ascend the pitcher’s mound or take my turn in the batter box.
So the Twins won the game (6-5) against the Tampa Bay Rays, and it was an enjoyable contest to watch. At the same time, I am glad and thankful God has led us, and we have turned, onto a different path. So much have we traveled down a different path, none of my children (even the eldest), could really understand or figure out why I wanted to attend a game. Well, yes, I could have read, or attended some other event, but how God leads is sometimes difficult to explain. I thought it was a good idea to spend some off-work time with the guys with whom I work. I’ve never been to a game in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. I was curious how the game had changed, up close, in 35 years. And, frankly, I enjoy watching a baseball game. Are games frivolous? Sure. Do I want a game to be my life’s focus? Certainly not. Do I overanalyze? Probably, but “From DandelionEnd” has a wide spectrum of readers, even if not very many people visit. So, I explain myself, because sometimes, people who know me (even relatives) have a disconnect between what they know of me and what they hear of me, and by extension, of my faith, and my God. Not that I’m that important, but I like to keep in contact with people. Having said that, I probably will bring the children to a game at some point as opportunity knocks in order to give them some rudimentary idea of how the game is played.
From DandelionEnd 