50+ Lifestyles

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

By Kari Smith

Remember to Step Back and Enjoy the Moment

On Thursday, August 12th, Iowa had the opportunity to host a major league baseball game for the first time ever because of a movie that was filmed in Dyersville, Iowa in 1989. Field of Dreams is a great baseball movie, probably one of the best baseball movie ever filmed because it is an emotionally driven movie that reminds to you to not give up on your dreams. The question in my mind, when all the planning went into the game, was if America expected it to be magical, because I did not. I expected it to just like every other baseball game on television. I didn’t even plan on watching.

One day before the game, my family was blessed with two tickets. My husband and fourteen year old son, who has a huge passion for baseball, canceled everything and left at noon for Dyersville, Iowa. The gates opened at 3:00, the weather was perfect and before the game they enjoyed watching both teams have batting practice. The hours passed quickly, the ballpark was sold out and then just before the game started, Kevin Costner walked out of the cornfield and in the moments following, both teams followed, just like the movie in 1989. Words cannot describe how perfect it was, and how it almost felt like they were part of the sequel to the movie.

As the sun began to set, the Yankees and White Sox played with all their hearts. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, and millions of Americans stayed captivated by every little detail of the game. This game was basic baseball at its finest, even with the man in his bow tie climbing up the ladder to change the score. What we could have never expected was outcome of the game coming down to the bottom of the ninth inning when Tim Anderson for the White Sox sailed a ball over the right field fence. As Joe Buck said, “You can throw the party, but you don’t know how it will turn out. Major League Baseball threw the party, and it was magical.”

My husband and son will never forget August 12, 2021 in Dyersville, Iowa. Remember to step back and enjoy the moment. You will never get to rewind or replay today, so appreciate all of your blessings.