Day Nine

In 1989, my future husband and six of our good friends went in on season tickets for Chicago Blackhawk’s Hockey. We shared two seats in the Madhouse on Madison, aka the old Chicago Stadium. We had the seats until 1994, when the United Center opened. The Blackhawks offered “comparable” seats. (are old seats were in the first balcony, second row of the southwest corner but the new comparable seats were in the second balcony, in the 19th row, but that is another story) The seats also came with a significant price bump. In the end, we decided to let the seats go, as some of us were now married and planning for families. But those games will always be remembered for the absolute blast they were.

We have gone periodically over the years and always enjoy the game. So when my first born baby girl celebrated her 25th birthday last week, my husband decided to get 4 seats for us all to go. Her boyfriend is from southern Illinois, so he had not been to a game before meeting my daughter. They enjoy sporting events, so it was an awesome gift. I have always loved going to the game. I appreciate the fast pace and love the power plays. But I have to say last night my favorite part was the anthem. I have marveled at the participation during the song. The crowd is on their feet from start to finish and the cheering escalates throughout the song. I do not want to add a political spin on this post because that is not what my focus was on. (Although it was wonderful to see all the female veterans being celebrated last night and I am thankful for their service.) It was the energy created by being in an environment filled with people. You could feel the vibration in the air. I have not had an experience like that in years. I could literally feel all the positive vibes surrounding me. I loved being a part of something that connected each of us to one anther. I loved feeling so much positive energy in one place. It reminded me how much fun it is to share an experience with others. I hope it is a sign of good things to come.

And on a sports note, the Hawks won 8-3!!!!