Oct 26 2009
Fall time in a small town
We wake up Saturday morning, son takes off to take his ACT, and he has to be there at 8:00! My husband and I head to a baseball game at 10:00 and 12:00. A game that we wouldn’t have to be at, since our son is not playing today (because of the ACT), but we do go 1. To support the team 2. Because I am the score keeper and 3. What a beautiful day it was! No way someone could spend the day locked up in the house after all the rain we’ve had.
First when we arrive at the game about 30 minutes early, the whole complex was just built within the last year. It’s beautiful with tennis courts, softball and baseball fields and football field. When you see it you’d never think that our school is just a little 1A school. Anyway, when we arrive there are also pee-wee football about to begin, while we’re walking to the field they started the National Anthem, everyone on the football field and in the stands stood to honor the flags, but what was very interesting was everyone down at the baseball did the same thing. All the players, coaches and the fans who had already arrive stopped their warm-ups, talking or whatever they were doing and honored our flags. Now I would expect nothing except for this to happen, but what was neat was everyone else felt the same way! It was a really nice scene to see on such a beautiful morning.
We played the first game and lost. We had several errors that cost us the game, but this is fall ball and that’s what fall ball is for; learning and developing. That’s why you play fall and summer league baseball, so you can develop yourself for your high school teams.
Towards the end of the 1st game my son calls and says he’s finished with his test and on his way; for me to tell the coach to put him at the bottom of the lineup for the second game and for me to run home and get his stuff. So as soon as the 1st game ends I run home grab everything, well almost, forgot his hat! Get back up to the field and leave his clothes at the concession stand with some friends for him to pick-up and change. Game 2 starts and he does get there before his time to bat in line up. Game 2 ended, we lost again BUT played a much better game.
Now it was time to run home, grab a couple of supplies needed and head to fall fest! Now like I said we have a small town, fewer than 800 people, but our square was packed! I think just about everyone was there. Each club or organization in school, including each class, had booths. There were even some other organizations and businesses from around town had booths too. We have a very diverse population, and it is so neat to see so many people from every walk of life and religion come together to have such a great time.
My son and some of the other senior boys got into a dunking booth. You paid 4 tickets to get 3 tries at throwing a softball and hit the target. Everyone had a blast! I’m not sure who had more fun, the ones in the booth, the little kids, the teachers who tried, or even other older students. Our pastor even took a shot. Oh and I spent my share of tickets on trying to get my son in the water. I did dunk him several times but it was by cheating. For the little kids that missed usually someone just reached up there and hit the target with their hand or foot just to get the dunkee wet!
This is one of the great things about living in a small town. No one ever thought about someone walking up and snatching a child, poisoning candy, or some of the other horrible things that you hear about on the news that can happen when a crowd gathers. Everyone knows everyone and had a great time getting together, spending a little money to help out locals clubs and organizations. Everyone worked together to set everything up, and to clean up everything. I don’t know if every small town has festivals like ours, but I know we think ours is pretty special and it was made even more special but having such a beautiful day to enjoy it!
