Friday Night Lights

Two weeks ago I attended the opening night of my old high school's football season. I had not been to a home opener for more than 33 years. I knew no one on the team. I just thought it would be neat to hear my old uniform number called on the P.A. system and was curious if a tall langly looking teen was wearing number 23 again.
Needless to say the changes were many.
A new football field at least to me as the location had changed to just outside of town instead of downtown next to Thread creek.
The booming voice of the announcer on the p.a was absent. Back in the day the principal of our school's deep baritone voice could be heard over booming speakers set up on both sides of the field. Instead we could barely hear Donald Duck in drag over a nearly non-existent speaker system.
In fact the public address system was so poor I'm sure that better sound could have produced by simply standing on the press box and shouting to the crowd.
I found this totally embarassing but not because I am a former broadcaster or because I was the public address announcer at this same high school more than thirty years ago for the junior varsity games but because the President of the school board is a broadcaster as well. Mike is a former radio guy and now is one of the local anchors of the TV station in Flint Michigan. Why didnt someone check out the equipment days before the game to make sure it was working properly. Squeaky voiced student or not that night, the annoucer that night deserved as did the crowd better than what they recieved. Besides the new athletic complex was named after our old school principal and former P.A. annoucer for goodness sakes. This was a travesty.
Other changes were evident as well. At least for this game. There was no longer a marching band. Instead 8 young high school ladies dressed in purple and black camo attire tried to dance to music they could not hear over the poor sounding p.a. system. Cant dance if you have no music. They quit after one song with looks of disgust and disapointment on thier face.

Besides misssing the marching band our school colors are blue and gold not purple and black.

Some things were the same despite my grouching to myself.

Cheerleaders led a non-enthusiastic crowd in cheer after cheer. I managed to eat a partially warmed hot dog with mustard that I had gotten from a crowded concession stand of band boosters. In fact I ate two. I figured with no marching band that they needed the help.

I scanned the field looking for my number on the the back of a uniform. I did not hear it on the broken speakers during the line up introductions. My number was missing. No where to be found. Not on the bench. Not on the field. Not even in the stands per chance on the back of an injured player who was sitting the game out. My number no longer existed. The result perhaps of them retiring my number to tell me I should retire from attending games at my former high school to feel nostalgic.
I decided tha I would leave the game at halftime with our team trailing in the score. Dejected that I would not hear my number called ever again.
On the drive home I would stop at a local grocery store to grab some milk, bread and deli meat for sandwiches when suddenly I heard it. "Number 23" I could not believe my ears. MY NUMBER.
It was being announced. I scanned the crowd looking for a tall skinny kid with a football jersey anxious to get a look. Perhaps my trip would not be wasted at all. I was suddenly pumped with energy. My heart was pounding with excitement. Could it be. I was almost speechless.
All of a sudden a small elderly woman nudged me in the side and said to me "thats you!". I remember thinking how would she know me from my playing days.
I collected my senses and pressed forward through the crowd. "That's me" I said. " I will have a pound of hard salami and a half pound of roast beef please, sliced thin".
It is sometimes amazing what a little magic will do.