|
Ken Ortiz
Hello all and Happy 2019,
One of the things we have going for us, now that we are 60 (or approaching it in my case), is that we are identified as having a lot of wisdom and experience. You know, those “Been there, done that", “I have seen it all", “Same ol, same ol" moments. I even bought a t-shirt last year when I was in Houston that said “This Ain’t My First Rodeo" (it happened to be rodeo season when I was down there). And that T-shirt applied very well one time last year when I wore it while bowling in my league (but that is a story for another time).
Well, I am here to tell you that while we have pretty much “done it all", we can still experience those “My First Time Ever" moments. And let me tell you, those are so awesome because it touches that inner “still young at heart" and “newness of spirit and enthusiasm" that keeps us embracing life. I started off my 2019 with a “My First Time Ever" bowling achievement, and I have been bowling on and off (mostly on) for over 50 years. That surreal night on January 7th, 2019 also got me thinking about other “My First Time Ever" moments I have had recently and also one I will be having in May 2019 (“My First Time Ever" I will be going to do Las Vegas). So here are some of my more fun “My First Time Ever" moments I have had recently:
P.S. – I am sure you all can find some of your own “MFTE" (for all you acronym lovers) moments, and it could happen even when you are not expecting one.
I went Kayaking last August (post #755) – “My First Time Ever” I went kayaking.
I went to the Wrigley Field Tour last June – “My First Time Ever" I was inside the Cubs dugout, “My First Time Ever" I got a picture with a Cubs World Series Championship trophy (among other "MFTE's" that day).
Last September – “My First Time Ever" I went to a baseball game at Miller Park (Cubs vs. Brewers)
I have been to several Murder Mystery Dinner Theaters in downtown Milwaukee the last couple of years, but at one of them last year it was “My First Time Ever" I was chosen to be a participant/suspect. The funny thing was that the role they chose for me was to be a brainy nerd. Geeee…..that was not much of a reach for my “acting" abilities as I recalled very well my first two years at Lane. So I also got a “My First Time Ever" I won a Best Actor award at a Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre.
Last year was “My First Time Ever" attending a Kenosha Kingfish baseball game. It was also “My First Time Ever" catching a free Kingfish t-shirt thrown from the mascot. I went to another Kingfish game a month later and after the 8th inning of a pretty long game (as there were a number of empty seats by then), they played “YMCA" during the break. Well, guess who decided to go “full out" with his “disco Kenny" dance moves during that song, and because the seats next to me were vacant, I had a lot of room to strut around and boogie down. So when the game was over and I went to leave, a group of young women a few rows behind me gave me props for my dance moves and I even got a couple of high fives from them. Then one of them said that I was on the center field Jumbotron video board while I was dancing. I had no idea that happened. But that was “My First Time Ever" I was shown on a ballpark Jumbotron video board.
Sometimes you can be at the right place at the right time to get a “MFTE". Last November a group of us went to Medieval Times for a friends birthday. We were seated in the first row in the Blue Knight section and seated next to me (I was at one end of our group) was a girl (from a different group) with her mother and older sister. I found out it was that girls birthday as she was happy to let everybody know she was now 8. And she was really into this event with her lighted sword and cheering the Blue Knight on. A little bit later into the event, our blue knight rides his horse up to her, gets off, hands her some flowers and a sash, and tells her in that “dilly-dilly" voice “My fair maiden, you have been chosen as Princess of the Tournament for the Blue Realm! Very well done indeed!” Then he announces to us after her mom puts on her sash: “Raise a cheer for the Blue Princess! For she is the fairest of the fair in all the kingdoms!” We all start cheering and this girl was jumping up and down and then we all put out our hands up for high fives and she goes all through our section giving us high fives. Since I was seated next to her, I am sure I was also in the picture they took of her with her sash and lighted sword and paper crown. What a fun time it was to be a part of that. So I believe that was “My First Time Ever" I was seated next to a Medieval Times Princess.
|
