So, just like you, I have my favorite stories about my mom. There are always those stories that stick out. I want to share one with you now. No reason, I just want to share it with you. I hope you like it.
I was in high school. Mom and I went to the Friday night football game. I was a Sophomore. A young man 18 or 19 I would guess was trying to buy a ticket for the game, but he could not get one. Now before I continue, he was mentally challenged. I don’t know now, but perhaps he had Down Syndrome.
My mom was wondering what the commotion at the front of the ticket booth line was all about. Some man standing nearby explained about the young man. Mom had me watch him. When she got to the front of the line, she asked about him. She was informed that he was 50 cents short. Mom told the woman selling the tickets she should be more considerate. What was 50 cents to the school? Really? They could not let him in even 50 cents short? And couldn’t she, the woman selling the tickets put 50 cents in the register later?
So, mom bought two tickets. We walked up to the gates where he was standing. There he was wishing he could go inside. But he seemed to be willing to stand outside the gates and watch the best he could from there.
Mom walked up to him. Handed him a ticket. “Go buy yourself a Coke and a snack” she said as she handed him a few dollars.” Then mom and I went inside and enjoyed the game.
Why is this story so memorable to me? Well, from the man who told us about him, we learned that he loved those games so much. He went every week. Mom said to me that it was probably one of the few great pleasures he had. It gave him joy.
Now, it was not much. It was a few dollars, but it bought so much pleasure to him. That incident has made such an impression on me for the last 40ish years. We don’t have to make grand gestures to make an impression on the world. We just need to make one life just a bit brighter even if it is just a for a few hours at a high school foot ball game.
Thanks mom.
Cheers!
Coach
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