Tiny Joys #5: Teens can surprise you – in wonderful ways.

The ball field and the bold teenager

There are lots of things that can happen at a ball field but this is definitely not one I ever expected.

We were watching our 10-year-old grandson play baseball.

And they were winning by the way. 11-1. Yikes!

Our granddaughter was off playing with her friend.

My husband, his daughter and I were yakking and watching the game.

But I usually get restless and want to walk around the field looking for gawd knows what. But I’ll know it when I see it! It’s usually other people. You know, to chitty-chat.

So, as my grandson is about to go up to bat I head to the backstop to watch him.

Here’s a little extra tiny joy - he no longer pretends he doesn’t see us. Now he engages us. It warms my heart when he looks around and smiles at me. Tiny joy!!

I’m about to meet my second tiny joy for the evening.

There are two people sitting in chairs in front of me. The woman on the right makes a funny gesture to her child who is playing ball. The ball went wild and she raised her arms in exasperation - like - what the heck was that throw!

I laughed. They both turned around to look up at me. The one on the right looks like the mom of the teenager sitting beside her.

The mom answers ‘Right?!!!’. While laughing I ask her, “Does she belong to you?” She laughs and says, ‘Yeah - can you believe it?!!!” I’ll be damned if I’m going to diss a child so I just laugh.

So you know what happens next? You’ll never guess.

The teenager jumped up out of her seat and came over to stand beside me.

What? Why is she standing beside me?

I’m waiting for her to say hello but she doesn’t say a word. She just keeps watching the game.

Well, considering I’m the adult - I guess it’s my move.

So, I ask her if she’s for the blue team. She says, Yes.

So, then I do the most un-adult thing ever - I say to her, ‘Na na na na na - we’re beating you!’

She doesn’t laugh and says to me - ‘that’s not very nice’.

Ooops, I may have overplayed my hand. Not all my jokes land.

But, you know – in for a penny, in for a pound – I continue…’it may not be nice but it’s true. I mean we’re beating you 11-1’.

She laughs and says, ‘ya I guess you’re right’.

Whew!

For a second there, I thought I’d blown it. I mean, who trash talks to a teenager you just met?

Next time Deb, act like an adult, I say to myself. You got lucky this time.

Anyway, this charming teenager and I spent the next 15 minutes getting to know one another. Her name was Jordan. She’s 14, soon to be 15. She plays rep baseball, flag football and in the winters does gymnastics. Her grandmother’s name is also Debbie - that seemed to make her happy.

She was confident, beautiful with long dark hair. Respectful, amusing, and engaging.

And you know what she says as I’m leaving - it was nice getting to know you.

Hello. Teens can surprise you in the most wonderful ways, can’t they?

So as you can well imagine - this was my tiny joy! Reminding me that connection can show up when you least expect it — and from someone you’d least expect it from.

I have a friend who always says - good things happen when you leave the house. I think she's onto something.

I was very lucky to experience these two tiny joys that night! And wouldn’t have if I’d stayed home.

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