At least I'll go out swinging

I sat upper deck today for the White Sox season opener. I had a full view of the field as Chris Sale threw the season's first strike out and Tyler Flowers hit the season's first home run and the sox claimed the season's first victory. It was really nice. I got to be back in the ballpark, beside my brother and my father, watching a sport we all love.

But, nonetheless, I got the feeling that I wasn't where I should have been. As much as I enjoyed the noise of the upper deck and appreciated the factual time-line that plasters the walls of the 500 section, I felt out of place. I should have been in section 137, row 12 in seat either 7,8,9, or 10. That is where I have watched countless ball games and that is where I should have watched today's game. The upper deck gives an unblocked view of every play in the game, an umpire-worthy judge of each pitch as it passes over home pate. The 500 section is reliable because there is never anyone blocking your view and you can see basically everything.

And still, I missed the scorn in my neck from searching for fly balls and the anticipation of an umps call after each pitch. I missed the familiar calls of my favorite beer-man and the condescending coos of the man who sits behind us. It's not that I think my season tickets are better than the upper deck, I just know them as home. I grew up in these seats. They are where I learned to snap and swear and smile big enough for a second Lemon Chill. Section 137 is where I imagine myself always watching sox games.



Earlier this week I decided to attend Wake Forest University next year as a member of the freshman class of 2017. I know Wake is a great school and is full of people with similar morals as myself. Still, I cannot help but feel like this choice has left me in the upper deck. Sure, the school will present me with a ton of opportunities and will broaden my horizons post-graduation, but at the same time, I will miss the comfort of what I have always known. I will miss the Big 10 rivalry and the ability to get lost in a huge crowd. I will miss the frigid winters and waking up before anyone has walked in the snow. I will miss the flatness of farmland and the proximity to water. Those are the things I feel comfortable with; they are my section 137 and I think they might be where I should be.

But, then again, the world we live in is so huge and I cannot always expect to feel a sense of belonging. Really, I should be happy to at least be in the ballpark.