Insane and uncontrollable laughter is perhaps one of the best experiences one can enjoy in life. Unfortunately, this rare kind of laughter usually comes at the expense of a total stranger or better yet a lifelong friend. The latter played the role for Mariana and me, as one of our oldest friends and host (Stephen) treated us to a Mets game on a flawlessly beautiful spring day in New York. We started off the day by catching up with one another as we traveled the necessary trains from Manhattan to the ballpark. We talked about our mutual friends and laughed as we recalled classic stories that had been told countless times. The nostalgic hilarity of our reminiscence certainly helped Mariana and I feel at home, but we had no idea that another tale was going to soon join the ranks of those we were already sharing. Upon arriving at Citi Field, we all walked down the railroad platform and made our way towards will call to pick up our tickets. Being a longtime fan of baseball, I found myself immediately distracted by the countless shrines to players of old that surrounded the outside of the stadium. While I took pictures of Lenny Dyskstra, Nolan Ryan, and Tom Seaver, my wife and our friend made their way to a colorful booth handing out free hand bags and snacks.
After some major nerding out on the historical monuments of one of the most storied teams in all of baseball, I made my way back to the long ticket line just in time to see Stephen rummaging through his newly acquired Mets handbag. Stephen had skipped breakfast with Mariana and I that morning to work out and was in desperate need of some sort of sustenance due to the dauntingly long line that separated us from the much anticipated beers and hotdogs waiting for us inside. Like a conqueror standing over his vanquished foe, Stephen pulled out a small bag filled with some sort of healthy snack resembling dog food. Not one to be picky during times of need, Stephen ripped open the bag and tossed a handful of pellets in to his mouth. A few awkward bites and a quick sniff of the bag in his hand soon led him to realize that he had in fact just consumed dog food handed out to willing patrons by the game day sponsor . Needless to say, insane and uncontrollable laughter erupted from Mariana, me, and a number of anonymous fans who had the great fortune to witness such a humiliating act. To be fair, Stephen has his MBA and is one of the most intelligent people I know, so I place complete blame on the vendor for not being clear in their attempt to market their product properly. Stephen’s only crime was being excessively hungry and not watching what he ate.
After some major nerding out on the historical monuments of one of the most storied teams in all of baseball, I made my way back to the long ticket line just in time to see Stephen rummaging through his newly acquired Mets handbag. Stephen had skipped breakfast with Mariana and I that morning to work out and was in desperate need of some sort of sustenance due to the dauntingly long line that separated us from the much anticipated beers and hotdogs waiting for us inside. Like a conqueror standing over his vanquished foe, Stephen pulled out a small bag filled with some sort of healthy snack resembling dog food. Not one to be picky during times of need, Stephen ripped open the bag and tossed a handful of pellets in to his mouth. A few awkward bites and a quick sniff of the bag in his hand soon led him to realize that he had in fact just consumed dog food handed out to willing patrons by the game day sponsor . Needless to say, insane and uncontrollable laughter erupted from Mariana, me, and a number of anonymous fans who had the great fortune to witness such a humiliating act. To be fair, Stephen has his MBA and is one of the most intelligent people I know, so I place complete blame on the vendor for not being clear in their attempt to market their product properly. Stephen’s only crime was being excessively hungry and not watching what he ate.
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