February 11, 2024
Marie and I went to the Kentucky versus Vanderbilt basketball game last night. I must say that while I loved being able to go out with Marie and I enjoyed the game itself, there were some things that happened before we sat down in our seats that made me remember why I don’t get out much. First, there was traffic. Lots and lots of traffic. While trying to get to the parking garage where we had a prepaid parking space waiting for us, we got stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. It seems three quarters of Nashville and at least half of Lexington, Kentucky was trying to accomplish the same feat. So, when we finally arrived at the point where it is our turn to enter the parking garage, we were told by a little man holding a flashlight and directing traffic that we would have to “go around the block so they could keep the traffic moving”. He wouldn’t let us enter the parking garage where our prepaid parking spot was waiting. I have news for that little man directing traffic with a flashlight. Traffic was already NOT moving and if our vehicle was to enter the parking garage it wouldn’t have affected the “flow of traffic” at all! After driving around the block and parking the car, we proceeded to walk to Memorial Gym to watch the aforementioned basketball game...smooth sailing, right? Not so fast my friend. When Marie got to the gate, the admissions people wouldn’t let her inside with her very small Kentucky Wildcats purse. While I admit, the purse would have looked better if it was a Vanderbilt Commodore purse instead of a Wildcats purse, it wasn’t a security risk. Marie had to go stand in another line and pay ten bucks for them to hold her purse hostage for the rest of the game. So, we finally get inside and see a concession stand. Mind you, our seats were on the third level and while we saw a concession stand, we did not see elevators, so we decided since we didn’t want to carry hot dogs, Reese’s cups, and cold drinks up three flights of stairs, we would purchase our goodies from the concession stand on the third level. When we got there, the only drinks available at the third-floor concession stand were beer and water, no cold drinks. If we wanted cold drinks and Reese’s cups, we would have to go back down to the first-floor concession stand and carry them back up those stairs to the third level. I didn’t want Reese’s cups and a cold drink anyway. Oh, and they also accepted no cash. It was debit/credit card only. So finally, after the parking, purse, and concession fiascos, we had our hot dogs and water in hand and proceeded to our seats. Turns out, eighty-eight dollars buys you a bleacher seat with no back. To add insult to injury the Commodore basketball team must have stayed in the locker room, because the guys on the floor certainly didn’t seem interested in playing basketball. I wrote all that to make this point. While going through all these frustrations, it seemed there was someone inside of me trying to get out. He was a person I didn’t like very much. This person was angry and ill-tempered and had some very harsh words to speak to anyone who would listen (and those who wouldn’t, as well). You probably have a person like that inside you as well. Maybe that’s why there are so many warnings in the Bible about holding our tongues and giving “soft” answers. I’m trying. But nights like last night remind me I have a long way to go.
Be blessed and then go be a blessing . . . Bro Andy
Comments