I’ve
volunteered at our local minor league baseball stadium this summer, working the
concessions stands. We are swamped when the gates open at 6, but everything
stops when that song starts at 7:05. I love to watch the crowd standing so
still, many with hands across their hearts, mouthing the words, heads turned
toward center field. Even the kids pay attention.
The volunteer singers always do an excellent job with the difficult tune, and I love how the power of the words and the emotion of the voices always wash over me. “… oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave….”
Self-proclaimed
liberals like John Moe
may mock, deride, but the event always moves me. Perhaps
we seem less indivisible these days, polarized by the press into red states and
blue states, but I say we are united still. Our real differences are more minor
than major. One trip to the ball park proves it.
may mock, deride, but the event always moves me. Perhaps
we seem less indivisible these days, polarized by the press into red states and
blue states, but I say we are united still. Our real differences are more minor
than major. One trip to the ball park proves it.
Well said, John! Living so close to 5 professional sports teams, we get quite lots of local TV coverage of games. My "complaint" of the local performances of the anthem are the renditions which stray so far from the written music. Although a difficult tune, it sounds best when sung as written (in my opinion!).
ReplyDeleteMary Ann in Livermore