Actually the wave was probably started at an Oakland A's game or a Washington (the state) football game. I guess it is accurate to say it came from Satan.
If it is not clear already, then let me make it clear. I hate the Wave. If you don't know what the Wave is then stop reading because I am not telling. The last thing I want to do is teach anyone about this awful practice.
I don't think there is a true baseball fan out there that likes the wave. People that are at the ballpark to actually watch the ballgame do not want to see the Wave. That is not to say that I think everybody there should be there to watch the game. That would be naive. I am not saying that kids don't enjoy the wave. I am saying to those people that are not that interested in the game or want to entertain their kids is to find a different way to entertain ones self and offspring.
Let me explain why I and so many others hate the wave. It is always done at the most inappropriate time. I never see the Wave attempted except for in the extreme situations of a game. Either the home team is getting skunked or it is a really close and intense game. When my team is getting their protective cups kicked in I don't want to stand up, stick my arms in the air, and "wooo". I want to sulk. I want to heckle the right fielder. I want to look at baseball cards with my son. I want to a lot of things but not the Wave.
When the game is close, I really want to watch the game. I believe it sends the wrong message to the players for everyone in the stadium to be watching the Wave go around the stadium when they are trying to hold on to a one run lead. The team just walked a batter and everybody starts cheering as the wave makes it half way around.
The reason it is always started at these two inappropriate times is because of the typical person who starts the wave. It is that loud mouth high school-er who is there with his youth group. The kid who has been walking around the stadium for the last 7 innings ogling the girls that they will never talk to. He has come back to his seat and he has no idea what is going on with the game. He has spent his last dollar on a boat of nachos and XL Dr pepper he will never finish. He is now bored and wants someone to pay attention to him. His friends, who are slightly less cool then he, are urging him on to start the wave. They know that if anyone can start the wave, he can. He has been waiting all night for someone to realize that he is "The One", so he reluctantly agrees to "work his magic". He makes his way to the front of the section, directly in front of the guy who just wants to watch the game, and proceeds to scream at everyone with in two sections to "START THE WAVE ON THE COUNT OF THREE, 1...2...3!!!"
Ten hands half heartily go up and his over-zealous friends give it their all. This was not enough to "start the wave", but was enough to encourage our sweaty high school superstar to continue trying. For the next 30 minutes he screams out guilt trips to all the "poor sports" who are just trying to watch the game. More and more people participate. Half wanting the kid to be satisfied and stop and the other half feeling guilty because it seems that kid has a lot riding on his success as a Wave starter. In the end they only feed his addiction. He will never stop.
What really gets in my craw is that I have to participate. I believe it is my responsibility to see that James and later Maya has the ultimate baseball stadium experience. Like I said before, kids like the wave. James gets so excited when he sees it start. He gets on the edge of his chair and you can see him wiggling with anticipation as the wave approaches our section and his eyes follow it back around the stadium. James fully expects me to participate too and I feel that I must. If that kid and his youth group had not started it in the first place I would not have to participate. James would not be missing out. There are other things for him to enjoy, but how can you ignore a mass of people moving in synchronization. And that is where lies the problem.
The Wave cannot be ignore no matter what is happening in the game.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wives of Veterans Day
I can't think of a more important thing that I could write my first blog about. Tuesday was Veterans Day. Every year on this day I think about my grandpa and the sacrifices he made during World War II. A lot of those sacrifices I don't know much about. Not because I have never talked to him about it because I have. I don't know much about what he did in the Pacific because the sacrifices he made were so painful that he does not like to talk about it today. I know that he is proud of his service, but he is a very kind-hearted man and doesn't like to share bad things with his grand kids.
I also think about my brother and the amount of joy and purpose serving his country brings him. When he starts talking about the his job (in vague terms of course) in the Air Force Intelligence he lights up. He loves talking about it, much like I enjoy talking about teaching. I also think about my brother-in-law, John, serving his second 12 month tour in Iraq. What amazes me about him is that I never hear him complain. He is not one of "Gun-ho, give me a gun" kind of soldiers mind you. He will be the first to tell you that he signed up to help pay for his college and to provide for my sister and at the time their future children. Both of these guys joined for totally different reasons, but they both serve our country faithfully with honor and courage.
That being said, I cannot of all the men and women that are away from their families or have lost their lives serving our country and not think of the wives that the men have left behind. Sorry, military husbands and parents. I will explain why I am leaving you out in just a second. The wives that are left behind serve in so many ways. Sure they are provided for in some financial ways, but they are left to continue the duties they had before their husbands left, plus all that they now have to do since he is gone. Without these women's support many of our men would not be able to serve as strongly as they do. They are left to fill both parental roles and must also deal with that knot in their stomach that they continuously carry as long as their husbands are in harms way. That knot that is tightened with every negative news story, with every death toll, and with every day that they are separated.
I have heard several of the military wives that I am around talk about how awful it feels to miss a phone call and how much they look forward to getting one. I can't imagine! Recently, my wife went to Fort Worth with some friends from church. They left in the morning and returned about 12 hours later. I had the two kids all day. There was just so much to do and the whole time it all felt weird. There was a piece missing. I put the kids to bed and I immediately started anticipating Alison calling. I wanted to know she was safe, I wanted to talk to her, I wanted to feel normal for a little. She was gone for 12 hours. Could you imagine doing that for 12 months?! Imagine craving a phone call just so you can know they are safe, to know how their day was, just to feel normal for a little bit. Waiting for those phone calls for 12 months!
I feel that because of the sacrifices these women make and for the fact they go un-noticed so often there should be a national holiday, celebrating the Wives of our Troops.
Now for some clarification. First off, husbands of women who serve in the military. I am sure it is hard on you too, but you are a guy. I am not trying to dismiss what you do, but I think the gentlemanly thing to do here is say, let the wives have their day. If that is not a good enough explanation, then fine, we will honor you too on Wives of Veterans Day. :)
Now to you, parents of our troops (mainly moms), I understand you feel that same sense of worry and dread. That you miss your kids as they serve this great country. I would never try to diminish that, but you work and responsibilities do not typically increase because you son or daughter is shipped over seas. I think you can understand this. My mom is a mom of a veteran. Her life is not turned upside down when they are sent to war. She worries, she misses them, but her life continues on the same path. My sister is the wife of a veteran. When her husband is shipped off, everything changes. It is a totally different kind of deal.
This is just my opinion. In my opinion I am right.
I also think about my brother and the amount of joy and purpose serving his country brings him. When he starts talking about the his job (in vague terms of course) in the Air Force Intelligence he lights up. He loves talking about it, much like I enjoy talking about teaching. I also think about my brother-in-law, John, serving his second 12 month tour in Iraq. What amazes me about him is that I never hear him complain. He is not one of "Gun-ho, give me a gun" kind of soldiers mind you. He will be the first to tell you that he signed up to help pay for his college and to provide for my sister and at the time their future children. Both of these guys joined for totally different reasons, but they both serve our country faithfully with honor and courage.
That being said, I cannot of all the men and women that are away from their families or have lost their lives serving our country and not think of the wives that the men have left behind. Sorry, military husbands and parents. I will explain why I am leaving you out in just a second. The wives that are left behind serve in so many ways. Sure they are provided for in some financial ways, but they are left to continue the duties they had before their husbands left, plus all that they now have to do since he is gone. Without these women's support many of our men would not be able to serve as strongly as they do. They are left to fill both parental roles and must also deal with that knot in their stomach that they continuously carry as long as their husbands are in harms way. That knot that is tightened with every negative news story, with every death toll, and with every day that they are separated.
I have heard several of the military wives that I am around talk about how awful it feels to miss a phone call and how much they look forward to getting one. I can't imagine! Recently, my wife went to Fort Worth with some friends from church. They left in the morning and returned about 12 hours later. I had the two kids all day. There was just so much to do and the whole time it all felt weird. There was a piece missing. I put the kids to bed and I immediately started anticipating Alison calling. I wanted to know she was safe, I wanted to talk to her, I wanted to feel normal for a little. She was gone for 12 hours. Could you imagine doing that for 12 months?! Imagine craving a phone call just so you can know they are safe, to know how their day was, just to feel normal for a little bit. Waiting for those phone calls for 12 months!
I feel that because of the sacrifices these women make and for the fact they go un-noticed so often there should be a national holiday, celebrating the Wives of our Troops.
Now for some clarification. First off, husbands of women who serve in the military. I am sure it is hard on you too, but you are a guy. I am not trying to dismiss what you do, but I think the gentlemanly thing to do here is say, let the wives have their day. If that is not a good enough explanation, then fine, we will honor you too on Wives of Veterans Day. :)
Now to you, parents of our troops (mainly moms), I understand you feel that same sense of worry and dread. That you miss your kids as they serve this great country. I would never try to diminish that, but you work and responsibilities do not typically increase because you son or daughter is shipped over seas. I think you can understand this. My mom is a mom of a veteran. Her life is not turned upside down when they are sent to war. She worries, she misses them, but her life continues on the same path. My sister is the wife of a veteran. When her husband is shipped off, everything changes. It is a totally different kind of deal.
This is just my opinion. In my opinion I am right.
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