A favorite first

Fifteen years ago was the summer of 2005 had many special moments. My maternal grandmother turned 100 years old. She had still been living in her own home and driving up to that point. Almost six years after our dad died, my mom remarried a great guy who provided her companionship and an extra grandpa to my sons. But, early that summer I was earnestly trying to finish my final requirement for a Master of Theology degree that had taken me eight years; a masters thesis. I finished it in mid-July and I was toast.

For the eight years we’d lived in Dallas, people would ask me if I’d been to a Texas Rangers game. I politely replied that I hadn’t because I’d been too busy working full-time, pursuing my 122 hour degree, being married and raising two young boys. What I didn’t say, was “Texans don’t do baseball. We (midwesterners) do baseball.” I grew up a Saint Louis Cardinals fan.

But, a few days after I handed in the final edition of my thesis, a neighbor friend offered me the opportunity to purchase a few tickets to a Rangers game and I thought it was good opportunity to take Sam to his first pro game. He was a Little Leaguer and had fallen in love with the game. I was out of excuses. I must admit that I’d anticipated lots of traffic and dealing with obnoxious and intoxicated people at the game and it wasn’t something I was particularly excited about. But, I was on my way. It turned out to be one of the best things I could have done for myself and for my family. While it was a typically warm, summer evening, we were in the upper deck with a breeze and being back in a ballpark watching a game was so therapeutic coming off the completion of that degree. For the next few years, going to Ranger games became a regular family activity for us. They were not very good for a few more years. So, tickets were cheap (often free even) and available. The most important thing about it was that we discovered something that we all enjoyed doing together that fit our budget and time. This photo was Sam outside the gate right before we entered the field that night. A favorite first for me.