COLUMN: How Opening Day changed my life
Opening Day forever changed my life.
Thursday, the Detroit Tigers will host the Boston Red Sox and begin the 2012 season — a season full of hope after last year’s playoff run and the signing of slugger Prince Fielder.
But Opening Day didn’t change my life because of what took place on the field.
It all started about four years ago:
My friends and I were in our first or second year of going to Opening Day, which has since become our strongest tradition. I was working at Salsarita’s in Brighton, and there was a new owner. Literally on the owner’s first day of work, months before Opening Day, I said that’s all I care about — having that day off.
Naturally, months later after reminders, I was scheduled.
Not a problem — I quit my job to go to Opening Day. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you there were lots of other problems between the owner and myself, but that was the final straw.
So my friends and I piled in a tiny car, sang our hearts out on I-96 during the early morning drive and later enjoyed the festivities in Detroit.
After the game, I faced the challenge of being unemployed in the heat of a recession. I had a buddy who could pull some weight at a nice restaurant called Baker’s in Milford.
After the interview, he, understandably, couldn’t hire someone who quit his job to go to a baseball game (I couldn’t lie to the guy).
So I had a fall-back plan of working at Subway, which luckily had an opening shortly after Opening Day. Now, Subway didn’t change my life, but a year and three months later, it did.
A stunning, short-blonde-haired beauty walked through the doors with a cute, clean, white smile that could make a baseball nerd’s heart stop — this baseball nerd to be exact.
Her name was Sarah, and I had to have her.
On the second day we were scheduled to work together, I worked up the courage and felt pretty sly whipping my number for her inviting her to a — wait for it — MLB All Star game party.
She was, as Subway says, a no-call no-show.
It took about a year of waiting for the old, clown (cough, cough; sorry, Sarah) boyfriend to run his course before I was able to swoop in.
I later found out I actually gave her the wrong number. Either that, or Sarah couldn’t read my sloppy handwriting. But I landed that smoking hot blonde from Subway eventually.
Fast-forward a few years, and Sarah still hasn’t joined the boys’ tradition of Opening Day. Yet. But every other day out of the year revolves around her. She changed my life.
Without Opening Day, I still likely would have left Salsarita’s, but who knows where I could have ended up. Maybe Baker's, maybe a sweeter job with more pay. But maybe I would not have met the love of my life, Miss Sarah Martens.
