A favorite pastime that the average American can relate to is good 'ole baseball.

When I think of baseball these thoughts come into my mind: the smell of hotdogs and cotton candy, the crisp, green striped grassy fields, phrases like Shake it off! and He wanted that! being shouted in the background, guys in tight uniforms, and people—lots of different sorts of people.

Are you with me?

Just recently I had the pleasure of going to a Brave's game in Atlanta and had forgotten just how much fun actually going to the game can be.

So, the experience starts out pretty normal. 

I'm meandering around trying to find my seat (as if finding the seat that matches the number on my ticket is some sort of abstract concept reserved for wizardry), and OF COURSE someone's sitting in my seat.

It’s a whole thing.

Well, that fiasco finally gets ironed out and I’m seated…next to the most peculiar family.

When I say peculiar, I mean strange.

Well….not exactly like this bunch.

BUT, they were, indeed, off.

My closest neighbor was a very, very tall, young man who was full-figured (by full-figured I mean, he became part of my seat and at some point I just conceded and sat on/leaned against a good portion of his body because I was tired of hovering over the outer fourth corner of my chair).

Needless to say, we got to know each other.

Well, during this "getting to know you" portion of our outing, I found out that he doesn't like to chew with his mouth closed, he loves to yell things at high decibels, and he is very fond of dancing (like nobody's watching).

While I was staring at his elbow and how large and 3D like it seemed (because it was an inch--at best-- from my nose a good portion of the game), and wondering if any of the surrounding baseball fans sensed my discomfort, I realized that I, sort of, really liked this sweet, young man.

Call it crazy, or letting go of inner issues (who knows), but I finally let my guard down enough to actually enjoy watching this fellow full-out enjoy what was going on in his world with whole-hearted abandonment.

In between the many, many high fives he demanded, discussing his thinning hair situation, and how he couldn't believe he hadn't yet been featured on the Jumbotron screen, I realized that maybe I should be a little freer.

After all, who's having all the fun here?

That started an odd train of thought…maybe I'm the peculiar one. Who doesn't want to be happy and enjoy life?

So, as I watched my new friend take pictures of his tiny, plastic baseball cap bowl full of Dipping Dots followed by a high-five (from me this time),  I realized that I am definitely the one that's missing out here.

Well, in the end, I relaxed, smiled, laughed, cheered, and met some pretty cool people like Freddy the usher, the teen boys (tryin' to be cool for some pretty girls), and my sweet seat-mate, Antwon.

Lighten up, people! Have fun, enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed, and laugh as much as possible.

Who's peculiar now?