Five Years Ago

Five years ago today-ish (Sunday, if we're going to be particular), I was also at the Ballpark for a Rangers-Red Sox Opening Day. The circumstances were somewhat different. Five years ago, I had lied to get out of work and picked up my brother after his first-period history test from school for a "doctor's appointment," (he had a note from my mother). Today, I am working Opening Day. Six years ago-ish, I was also working Opening Day, but back then I was wearing a rather unflattering uniform and making not much more than minimum wage. My job description then included calling security on a drunk and unruly fan in a Yankees A-Rod jersey during the sixth inning. My job description now may include blocking drunk and unruly fans from the Star-Telegram's Live Chat during the game. I guess some things don't change too much.

Five years ago, my brother and I were seventh in line to get into the Ballpark and were invited, as eager beavers, to hold the Texas flag on Greene's Hill during the National Anthem. Today, I will be sitting in the press box during the national anthem. Five years ago, I could come to the game unabashedly decked out in Red Sox gear, although I was teased by my former coworkers. I wore my Curt Schilling jersey tee for Boston's starter. Today, I will have to be somewhat more discreet about any Red Sox apparel I wear. I will find a way, though.

Five years ago, I was a die-hard sports fan who spent entirely too much of my free time working on a blog with so few readers that I called it "Talking to Myself." Today, I get paid to tend to a website that keeps thousands and thousands of people informed about our local sports teams. I get so maxed out on sports that I should change the name of my blog to "The Opening Day Blog" to better reflect the amount of my free time that I want to spend blathering about sports now. Five years ago, I was unaware of Twitter's existence, and I doubt I'm alone there. Today, that is my primary outlet for the few, fleeting thoughts I feel compelled to send out into the universe. Fortunately, I have so few followers that I can still say that I'm talking to myself, just not as often.

Update: Five years ago, the closest I got to the field was leaning (tentatively and inconspicuously... I was a former usher, after all) over the railing during batting practice. Today, I was standing on the warning track while the Red Sox took batting practice. Sometimes change is good.

Here's my sad little post from five years ago.