A Moment at Fenway
Dave and I went to the game yesterday. It was a gorgeous day for a game. Unfortunately, the game itself was not so gorgeous.
As usual, I was a little freaked out, because sitting near us were a couple of people we knew from work. It happens EVERY time I go there.
Between innings, catchy tunes were played over the PA system. Older ones. I kept thinking, “I like this song.” At one point, it registered they were Prince songs.
I thought that was funny because just a couple days ago someone had asked me about my memorable experiences as an undergrad. I gave her a list of things, but first on the list was:
my first-year roommate (she introduced me to Kiss 108 and Prince)
That was my short answer. She actually introduced me to a lot of things – things that were new and different for me. Like sitting in a McDonalds in DC with her and being the only white person there. That’s what you would call a learning experience.
She had been head-over-heels for Prince. She had a poster of him hanging on the wall. A poster that mesmerized me. The curly hair, the high cheek bones, the full lips, the sinewy body, and the eyes. Those smoky eyes.
I fell in love with his music and with him through her.
There are various moments that register with each of us. Moments where you will always remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard about something. For me, here are just a few:
- Sitting on the couch at the lake on a beautiful August morning and hearing about Princess Di.
- Driving down Rt. 3 on a spectacular fall day and hearing about a couple of planes crashing into a couple of buildings.
- Watching a soccer practice while enjoying the sun in early summer and hearing about Michael Jackson.
- Being poolside at a resort in Florida and hearing about a problem at the Boston Marathon.
And now, another moment. Being at Fenway on a gorgeous spring afternoon and having a guy behind me say “You know Prince died today. That’s why they are playing his songs.”
I’ve got to go download some music now.
