Dear Diary: I’m a little angry right now. Okay, a little angry happened about two hours ago. Now I’m just plain perturbed. If you could see my face right now you would run away screaming. Have you ever been frustrated enough to break something in half… like steel poles? It all started with a fun filled night. “Hey Honey, I have free tickets to the Hillcats game (our town’s minor league baseball team)… skybox seats!”
Ok, going to a baseball game hadn’t even flashed through my mind as a possibility. I was expecting a low-key dinner and maybe watching a TV show together… but, we can do this. Yeah, it’ll be fun. Take me out to the ballgame!
We got there… and then… the rains came. They came and they came and they came. After two and a half innings, the field and the players were soaking wet. As the tarp covered the field, the crowed began to clear out. An hour passed. More fans made their way to their vehicles. Are we staying? … Are we going? … It looks like we’re staying. Another hour passes. Well, we have waited this long, I thought. We should stay… not to mention Eric really wants to stay. I can tell. 8:30pm… 9:00pm… 9:30pm… waiting. The rains slowed and now we’re waiting for a verdict from those in charge about the game continuing or not. 10:00pm…
The time was now 10:30pm and the decision was made: the game will resume. What? Seriously! Who decides these things? And is he going to stay or go home and snuggle into bed? The innings passed slowly. After the seven runs the pitcher gave away in the second inning (and I do mean gave away), we were far enough behind that it would have taken a miracle to come back and win it. We sat in our box with another couple… just us and one lone guy a few boxes over whose burp echoed throughout the stands. Okay…that was an exaggeration, but just a little one.
More people started inching to their cars. Before long, Eric and I were the only two left in the sky boxes. All of them. The crowd was so thin we could hear individual conversations from below. It had a certain little league feel to it. Thankfully it was a cool 71 degrees.
Just to be sure there was no misunderstanding, I leaned back and asked Eric, “You’re not just staying for me, right?” He assured me that was not the case (not that I did not already know that) and we continued to “enjoy” the game. When midnight hit, it became harder to contain my inner turmoil. The skybox felt more like a prison than a luxury. Strike him out! Don’t walk him! We want to go home!
At approximately 12:55 the final out was made. Carolina Mudcats 15… Lynchburg Hillcats 8. Good game, fellas… good game. I immediately rose to my feet and declared my intention to leave… right then. For some reason, Eric was still sprawled out in a chair looking quite content. Is he not exhausted? Is he not sooo ready for bed? Then he told me he needed to go to the bathroom before we left. The nerve.
As we left the box and made our way towards the car, Eric put his arm around me and sweetly thanked me for coming. When you want to be aggravated, let me tell you, that kind of takes the wind out of your sails.
I don’t have anything super profound to say. It is going on 2am and my powers of intellect are waning… but, I will leave you with this thought: sometimes in relationships you have to suck it up and let your significant other do something he or she wants to do… period. For whatever reason, Eric was so excited to sit in box seats and watch a baseball game (have I ever mentioned how Eric is not into sports? like… at all…?).
Would have I preferred to do something else? After 9:30pm… yes, I would have probably chosen a lot of other options. But, I know I will go to bed in a few minutes, wake up feeling better, and look back on tonight and laugh (or at least smile). Eric had a good time. It didn’t hurt me to give up a little sleep so he could enjoy himself. Somehow, I am not nearly as aggravated now as I was a half hour ago. Writing hath charms to soothe the savage Viets.
At some point in your life, inconvenience yourself to see your honey smile. In the end it really is worth it. Just be sure to come home and write a blog, song, or poem about it for posterity. ~smile~ Hope you enjoyed… I’m off to bed.
What have you done for your sweetheart lately that was completely sacrificial?