things I've missed

Tonight, I treated myself to a night at the ballpark. No, no cheap beer tonight (like I care about that). No special giveaways. Just a baseball game starring my favorite Single-A South Atlantic League team, the Savannah Sand Gnats. My boys of summer. And here it is already the 1st of July and this is the first game of this homestand that I've attended. I didn't realize how much I had been missing them, and all that comes with them.
So, a la Julie Andrews, here are some of my favorite things about this summer experience. Sitting with Willie Junior and watching him jiggle his eyeballs. Listening to Willie and John and Bruce and Arthur as they cheer on the team and bemoan their errors and the umps' bad calls. Joining in the fray, using my deep voice "so my boys can hear me."
Reveling in the little breeze that swoops through the stadium, renewing our energy. Smelling the popcorn and boiled peanuts and grilled beef hotdogs, and even indulging every so often. Clapping and clapping and clapping, to "working at the Car wash" and "if you're thankful and you know it" and songs I STILL don't know the names of. Saying hey to the regulars, both in the stands and behind the counters. Feeling like I belong to this big, noisy, summer-loving, baseball-maniacal family.
Watching the sun go down, painting the sky with a new palette each time. Sometimes with clouds, of different shape and texture, sometimes not. Light blue darkening to rich purple over the tall Georgia pines. The game lights coming on, bringing brightness to the lush greens and red Georgia clay. The American flag in left center field, always flying her colors, showing us who we are, one nation, regardless of color, sex, religion, education, marital status, job description, politics.
I have really missed this. I've been going to the games since 1996. I've been a season ticket holder for the past four years, but not this year. I knew I would be missing a few games, so I didn't buy my pass. As a result, I haven't been as attentive or attendant as I have in previous summers. I don't even know the names of all of my boys or their positions or their numbers. The boys have been having an especially good season, too, and I've been missing out on that, too. I think I'll go again tomorrow night, even though it'll be Thirsty Thursday and the stands will have far too many loud drunks. The field will be filled with my boys of summer, playing their hearts out on a hot summer night, and I want to be there to cheer them on. Go Sand Gnats!