As Father’s Day came and went this year, I was reminded of one of the most amusing activities I had experienced with my son and daughter while they were growing up (and, mind you, there were several from which to choose) . One summertime evening about 15 years ago, we took in a baseball game at what was then the home of the Colorado Sky Sox, Security Service Field in Colorado Springs. For those who have been to minor league games, the fans are much closer to the action - both on and off the field.
While the game held somewhat of an interest for about two innings, and we had already dispensed with eating dinner, we were looking for some way to enliven the experience for ourselves. Having noticed that there was a video guy roving the stands, looking for silly fans who would dance, make faces, and reduce their shame threshold in exchange for the thrill of being on the jumbotron in real time, the three of us decided not only to chase the camera, but challenge ourselves to see how many times we could actually get ourselves onto the big screen. Needless to say, we did not disappoint ourselves with a sum total of four appearances. I would love to tell you that it was me that the video guy found to be “jumbotron worthy,” but that badge went exclusively to my kids. They felt great about themselves and their accomplishment, and we could hardly wait to announce our escapades to their Mom upon our return home to Denver.
Last week, I made my return to the large screen while attending a major league game at Coors Field - the second in two days of the first live games that I had attended since before the pandemic. This game was enjoyed not with my offspring, who have long since flown the coop, but rather with a friend who loves to watch and shmooze about what is going on down on the diamond. The forceful attraction of the video guy, in this case, was the fun-loving, twentysomething man sitting in front of us who did his maniacal dance thing with Yours Truly as his background setting (truth be told, we sat in front of him for four very long innings and decided to move back to empty seats behind him because we became fatigued by all of the chatter and yelling that he exchanged with his cohorts).
Yay, me … I had my fifteen seconds of 2021 fame in front of a crowd, and actually started putting on some moves of my own when the camera came back for a second look!
I share these vignettes not so much for the purpose of self-promotion (although I am available to accompany you for ballpark antics for no more than a song), as to testify to the revival of the fun stuff that left us for what seemed to be an eternity and, at the time we were without it we were never quite sure when or if we would get it back. Like so many humans, I am grateful for the vaccines and to the CDC for validating our individual decisions to get the COVID shots by then allowing us to remove our masks and return to silliness. Please don’t mistake me - I remain careful and have my guardrails at arm’s reach - but the joy I witnessed on nearly everyone’s face last week as I worked the Concourse gave me both gratitude for the privilege to be back at the ballyard (and, miracle of miracles, the Rockies actually won both games), as well as gratification for having held on to hope and confidence at this time a year ago.
We owe it to ourselves to keep the fires of hope blazing for this and other contexts … and to revel in the freedom to let go!
P.S. Like milk goes best with cookies, fire is best accompanied by water; I am excited to offer a four-part course entitled “A Curious Immersion: The Pivotal Role of Water to Our Wellbeing.” See more details on the CURRENT STUDY OFFERINGS page.