There Ya Go
The nice thing about not having a life and going on vacations — or just taking a day or two off — is that when you do, you’re more comfortable splurging. That’s what I did last Friday when Tara and I were ordering Twins tickets online for that night’s game against St. Louis.
There are a lot of pricing options for Twins games — from $40 to $180. I wanted to find a happy medium, so we bought two $67 tickets. Thanks to Tara’s mastering of Ticketmaster, these tickets put us three rows behind the Twins’ dugout. Granted, this wasn’t the Dodgers or Yankees we’re talking about, and going to a Twins game won’t break the bank, but for me — a cheapskate — I always look for a deal.
We got a great one, too, and it was fun to be that close to the action. Our sweet seats even got us upclose to TV star Audra Martin, who works for the Twins. Tara, reading my mind, got Martin’s attention for a photo op and we ended up taking a photo together. The spot for Martin and photographers is the equivalent to a pit for an orchestra instructor, so I didn’t think a good pic was possible, but the striking Martin, being a good sport, hiked up her nice dress a bit and stood on a small chair so we could grab a nice photo.
There was another perk, too. Just steps away from our seats was an underground area that served food and drink — kind of a SVIP (Somewhat Very Important Person) spot. This space came in handy during a half-hour rain delay, as we spent that time with a few hundred U.S.A.chanting fello SVIPs. Yes, they had TVs down there, too, so we could catch a little World Cup action!
But this night turned out to be more than a fun photo with a TV personality, or the game itself for that matter.
Most, if not all, Twins games have a theme, a promotional opportunity. I really wanted to go on Byron Buxton Bobblehead Night, but our schedule offered a limited number of chances. One of those chances came Friday, when it was “Pride Night,” which celebrated the LGBTQ+ community.
Tara and I didn’t get to the game early enough to earn a special LBGTQ+ hoodie, but I did get something even better out of the night.
The great thing about sports is it brings us all together to cheer for our home team. We were all Twins fans that night, no matter our race, creed, religion or lifestyle. We were all Twins fans.
I’ll be honest here. I didn’t feel all that comfortable seeing gay men kissing each other on the lips on the Kiss Cam, but when I did, it hit me: These people are in love with each other. Who am I to judge what they do, who they love? Who am I to criticize the life they live?
I admit, I’m a judgmental person. I don’t want to be, I don’t mean to be, but I do quietly judge others. I don’t know why, either. I’m not better than the person who is overweight, or the person who dyes their hair pink. What makes me better than them? Nothing. And Friday night, there were plenty of chances for me to judge people I don’t even know.
The four people who sat in front of us Friday night were 100% gay, no question. One, we believed, was a person who transitioned to female and had a male boyfriend. The other two in their party were also clearly gay, and I fought some weird urge to internally judge them — for the way they talked, for their clothes, for their dyed hair.
“Pride Night” — and “Pride Month” for that matter — is a wonderful thing. And it should remind us that we need to stop judging others because of their appearance or their sexual orientation. What does it matter to me, or you, if someone doesn’t share our values? Why are we so quick to judge others whom we don’t even know?
What happened to live and let live? I know a lot of people reading this are staunch conservatives who don’t follow the path that those on the left do, but wouldn’t it be great if we could leave politics and religion out of at least one conversation? Wouldn’t it be sweet if we could all just be ourselves, and let others be themselves, without any repercussions and judgements?
The atmosphere at that Twins game was beautiful. There was a lot of pride, a lot of love at Target Field on that rainy Friday night. I might have been uncomfortable seeing some of the things I saw, but it sure beats a crowd of clowns beating each other up after a basketball game, like what we saw in New York last week. Knicks fans were at their worst after that epic comeback last week, then were at it again this past Saturday when the Knicks won the NBA title in Texas.
Charges filed Saturday included assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstruction of governmental administration. That violence was created out of hate and stupidity. What I saw in Minneapolis last Friday was the complete opposite.
No, I didn’t get a Buxton bobblehead Friday or a coveted foul ball, but I left Target Field with something even better: a sincere respect for my fellow man, no matter their lifestyle.
