The reason for our trip was to attend a charity function benefiting children who have disabilities or who are from underprivileged backgrounds through the game of baseball. Many former Major League Hall-of-Famers were there, including Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt, and Pete Rose (who isn't in the Hall but probably should be). We even received a VIP pass, which allowed us into a room with the players before the actual event, and included an open bar. It was in this room that I got to get my picture taken with Pete Rose. Pretty cool!
After dinner, we were introduced to the children who were nominated for the awards. One little girl was visually impaired and was wearing big glasses. She reminded me so much of me at that age. She didn't win, but still, she was so cute! The former players then shared stories of their days in the game. These stories stayed pretty PG-rated, since there were kids in the audience. I bet those same stories would be told completely differently in a different crowd!
After the event, we came back to the hotel bar for a little bit to have a drink. The next morning, we packed our bags and headed back down to Louisville to watch some football on an 100-inch projection screen!
The event was fun, and it benefited a great cause. Nathan and I were both a bit disappointed though. We get to attend these events and meet these famous people because of his job, which he has only had for two years. This is still new and exciting for us, especially so for Nathan. He's been following baseball since he was in kindergarten. Nathan is still struck with child-like wonder when he's in a room with such great players. Even though we get to do these things every now and then, it is still not a typical, run-of-the-mill experience for us. Some of the people we met at the event, though, take this for granted. If Babe Ruth were alive, having lunch with him a few times would be no big deal for them. They have the money and the influence and they know it. I guess we were both just disillusioned...
