“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America
has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a
blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.
This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all
that once was good, and that could be again. Oh people will come, Ray.
People will most definitely come” –Terrence Mann – “Field of Dreams”
Tonight marks the 20th year that I will ring in the New Year in the press box of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly the Peach Bowl. In a way it is my baseball that Terrence Mann spoke so eloquently about.
My life has changed in ways I could never have imagined back in 1994. When I first was asked to help out the Peach Bowl staff it was a smaller event than it is now.
I came in as the vice-chair of press operations under the chair game operations. I worked closely with the associate director of the bowl, moderating press conferences, helping to distribute the credentials and setting up the press box.
Now that they have added more staff and have a more steady volunteer crew, I mainly set up the information table near the entrance and assist the two staff members who over see the every aspect of the press room and photography area. It is a much larger operation than it was 20 years ago.
When I began this adventure I was separated with two small boys. I was the director of marketing and development at a church retreat center and hoped to enter seminary.
20 years later I am married. The two small boys have grown into handsome young men. Our daughter is a high school freshman. I attended and graduated from seminary, changed jobs a few times, and moved 4 times.
My husband now has a contract position with Chick-fil-A as a result of me first meeting his boss in the press box.
No matter what happens during the year, come the end of December, I know where I will be.
Happy New Year!
