As I have been saying for years, what is better than free food? Free tickets. The latter came my way on July 1 as Tigers and Verlander went for the sweep of the Swingin’ A’s on a glorious day for baseball in the shadow of Mt. Davis.
This was not supposed to be a working trip as I was a guest of a good friend, with whom I had not spent quality time for several months. He brought his son as well, which made the outing extra special. But a free ticket is a valuable commodity so I was not going to let this one go to waste.
I was going to have a great time with my friends and if the opportunity came to me to test-drive the project then I would take it.
Jackpot.
Round about the bottom of the third (B3), a family of four came to take the four seats between the aisle and mine. The matriarch now in S209, R9, #4 explained the clan was seeking sun because – as anyone who has been to a baseball game in SF or OAK knows – there is a 10-degree difference between shady and sunny sections. I did not mind at all. After a second icebreaker about one of the local transportation authorities, I made my move.
“Stop me if this is awkward… First of many games… Taking a trip… Blog… May I talk to you?” Four innings later when Max finally finished his sno cone, I realized this project was going to be everything and nothing like I thought it would be.
I did not have a set line of questioning, I did not have a routine down yet, and I did not have a note taking device other than the one I was born with, so I was not going to do heavy layers. I was going to hit the high points and try not to embarrass myself in the process.
But of all the fans, in all the stadiums in all the leagues she came to sit next to me in mine; and was perfect! Taking a half-day (as did her husband) to take their tween-age boys to a game with tickets the older son won in a radio contest, this seemed to be the family’s first game in a while. Long-time Giants’ fans came to enemy territory on this early summer afternoon. Lani said that they do not come to games as much as they used to, but there were several reasons for that. This busy family has a lot on its plate, but Lani did admit that they were starting to cut back and be bit more prudent with their spending decisions.
Lani’s occupation in real estate offers her a window through which she can see details of the economic crisis that many of us ignore or do not see in the bite-size morsels of media we devour.
That is where the a-ha moment happened for both of us. That is when we both realized that strangers often offer an opportunity we never saw coming that we try to grab with a Torii-like leap over the H.H.H.Hefty-Bag in center.
Cost of baseball? Fine. Manny and Alex? Whatever. It was when the conversation started to take a more macro tone that I thought about calling Pandora to ask her how to close the box. Because I was not taking notes, it is tough to recall when exactly it got heavy, but around T5, Lani suggested that if I really wanted to do some writing, I should go see what it is like when someone has to short-sell a home. In other words, sell the house for a price less than what the owner originally paid.
In her part of the San Francisco Bay Area many things are common: migrant workers, large extended families, shared living expenses, excess inventory, declining home values and of course… short sales. What she described in terms appropriate for the Plaza Level at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in these types of situations was nothing short of sorrowful.
She clued me in on some of the stories that lie beneath the facts we hear and behind the for sale signs we see far too often. There is not only economic upheaval that leads up to and continues beyond these events, but the family disruption that ensues when 12 people in a four-bedroom house have to vacate is almost impossible from which to recover.
One could argue that a situation like that was not enviable (or viable for that matter) to begin with; and there is a valid argument there. But no one can argue that an already strained system cannot withstand a continued barrage of distress, when the majority in a short sale situation is just trying to do the right thing.
One thing for which I can argue is that Brian and Brandon are in good hands with Lani and dad Brad, who continue everyday to teach their boys about the difference between value and worth. Selfishly, if I can continue to have the good fortune of sitting next to folks like Lani around the country then I might just be able to ‘go long’ with a valuable project that is worth different things to different people.
In other news, home runs by Jack Cust and Jason Giambi helped the A’s overcome and early 1-0 deficit and eventually win 5-1. Justin Verlander threw some filthy hooks as he is wont to do for the Tigers, but Dallas Braden outpitched him on a day that saw several strong pitching performances across baseball. The A’s avoided a sweep, and the Tigers left town in first place.
Lani’s Family with me holding young Max
Nice! Radio contest? On the FAN?