Locked Part II
…. It was not a one-time event. As a matter of fact, locking the keys in the trunk of a car, any car, became “my thing”. I was just afflicted with a teenage boy's lack of focus. It was generally the sound of the trunk locking that broke my reverie. Amazingly people continued to give me their keys in spite of my track record. As I got older, I graduated from the simple act of “keys-in-the-trunk” to more sophisticated forms of inattentiveness. In general, I had an unusually difficult time associating the day and time of a particular event with the proof of admittance to the event, i.e., a ticket. There is a silver lining created by events that do not require attendance.
My two sons and I have a particular interest in sports. Not an obsession but a broad knowledge and interest in all sports. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area we were blessed with teams that excelled in sports. Think 49er’s, Warriors, Giants, Cal Bears, and the Stanford Cardinal. In addition, these two men are good at sports. We enjoy playing and we enjoy going to sporting events. My youngest son attended Michigan State University. A general violation of our Pac 12 allegiance but that is another story. In Eugene, Oregon, MSU had lost to the Oregon Ducks in 2014 when the two teams were ranked 7th and 3rd nationally. Marcus Mariota was the Ducks quarterback. It was not close: 46-27. The following year these two teams had scheduled a rematch in East Lansing. My youngest son was excited about attending a Big Ten school with big sports. My eldest son was living in Philadelphia at the time and was a stalwart supporter of the Pac 12, having gone to UCLA when they were a basketball powerhouse.
Given that as the background, we all decided that it would be super fun for the three of us to meet in East Lansing and go to the game in Spartan Stadium. A modest edifice to college football that holds 100,000 people. There are few things in the sports world as fun as going to a big game in a big stadium. So, it was decided – I would fly in from the west coast; Alex would come in from Philadelphia and of course, William was at school studying in East Lansing. I was in charge of getting the ticket because, well, I am always in charge of getting the “good” tickets. I called Richie, the ticket broker; bought great seats on the 50-yard line and Richie mailed the tickets to me. I promptly put the envelope in my backpack so as not to forget them. I have experience in locking keys in trunks; misplacing tickets and showing up on a wrong day, so I am cautious. The weekend arrived and we all found our way to East Lansing. That night we had a great dinner and agreed to meet the next morning for brunch as game time was not until 4:00 pm. With a clear head the next morning we met for breakfast and after I headed to the room to retrieve the tickets for the game.
As I mentioned I had put the envelope in my backpack so as not to forget them. What I did not do was open the envelope. I mean why would I do that as I knew the tickets were inside. They were inside the envelope, EXCEPT the tickets were for the Univ. of Michigan versus Oregon State game. Wolverines v. Beavers is NOT Spartans v. Ducks. Turns out the Oregon schools had both scheduled games in Michigan – Richie (ticket broker) had sent me the wrong game!!!! Again, my lack of attention to detail had not improved from the evening I retrieved the coats many years in the past. I was horrified and proceed to self-flagellate and just commonly beating myself up.
The Silver Lining
I walked down to Alex’s room; knocked on the door; entered the room and threw the tickets on the bed. Picking them up he instantly realized the problem. He turned to me and said. “I know how badly you feel, but I would not beat myself up too badly. Remember we came here to be together and that has not changed, the game is incidental. Let’s go to a sports bar, have lunch, enjoy the game and each other.” For all the parents or potential parents reading this----no matter how many children you have, how many occasions you attend, or how many issues you resolve it is that comment that makes it all worthwhile and rests softly in your heart forever.
I have had many occasions where I arrived on the wrong day, locked the keys in the trunk, or otherwise “ruined” the event. However, it never is the event. Our world has become or maybe always was event-driven and yet, it is not of lasting importance. It is the opportunity that the event provides. The opportunity to be together. Not on text, the phone, or Instagram; it is the special moment that allows us to reside in each other’s company. To embrace and feel the human interaction with those we care about. The nuance of body language; the unique tonal quality of the sly turn of phrase or just the physical closeness that “the event” has provided the backdrop. In the end, it was the best trip. It also secured a special foundation for me to become closer to my sons. It opened the door to a level of conversation that provides depth, understanding, and love.
Oh, Michigan State won.
