Home Base

So this past Sunday I went to the Red Sox/Cubs game at Fenway, and as part of the game's ceremonies, they celebrated the Run to Home Base Program and all of the service that our country's troops have given to their country. It was truly magical to see people from the Army, the Navy, the Marines, and other servicemen and servicewomen on the field. People were recognized for their efforts overseas, and the ceremony was nice as it was, but what really hit me were the ovations from the fans. For a few minutes, the 37,000-plus at Fenway weren't fans of a baseball team...they were citizens of the United States of America, supporting the men and women who put their lives on the line for us and for their country. About 20 minutes before gametime, I got really excited because I could tell that the flag crew was standing in the front row of the Green Monster, ready to unveil the American flag draped over Fenway's 37-foot left field wall. Hearing that many people sing the Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America was haunting and empowering at the same time. It has become one of those inescapable feelings, something that I can think about and get chills running all around me. It's absolutely beautiful to see the support for our troops and what they do, and it's even more beautiful to see their reactions of humility knowing that what they do is just part of their duty. I could go on saying the same thing in different ways about how amazing it feels to think about this, but I leave you with two pictures - one of the troops lined around the infield, and one of the American flag hanging over the Green Monster. I remember my blog post around Opening Day and how I talked about the American flag at Fenway being one of my favorite sights. That's still absolutely true.