I'm on vacation from work and it's August 2013. I had planned to go to the US Open, one of the biggest sports events in the world. I had always wanted to go, especially since I live in New York City, host of the annual event. I order my ticket online on Tuesday afternoon for the Thursday night session. I really didn't know who was playing that night or didn't care. It was just the thought of being around some of the best athletes in the world and watching them play in person.
It's Thursday evening, 6p.m. and I'm getting ready to leave the house for the Open. I changed from my mega purse to a smaller bag. My godmother had advised me to not carry a big backpack or bag, since security doesn't allow big bags inside. Little did I know that one slight change would effect my big night. So I park my car in the lot of US Tennis Center, I get out of the car with a spirit full of glee that I finally got to the US Open. While walking through the parking lot, I see DJ D Nice, a major DJ in the hip-hop world and also a great photographer.
Then I shout out, " Hey D Nice!". He says back to me, "Hello. My name is Derrick." Of course, I let him know my name and ask for a pic with the legend. He does oblige and takes a pic with a fan, making my night even better. Then Derrick says, "Hey it was nice meeting you. I gotta run because I forgot my ticket in my car and I can't get in without. Have a good night."
When D Nice says he forgot his ticket, I think to myself, "Did I forget my ticket? May be I left it in my other purse and didn't put it in my bag?" So I open my purse and realize my ticket is not in my bag. I starting panicking, but then I remember that I ordered it online and it was emailed to me. I call up the customer service and ask if I can print out the ticket at the center. The agent tells me that I could but the ticket center closes at 5p.m. and it was already 7p.m. The agent then says that if there's a library or office supply store, I could connect and print it out again.
I'm still frantic because there's no library near by a sports arena. I ask a policeman near the parking lot about the closest library to print out my ticket. The officer says that there's a Holiday Inn near by and should see if I could print it out there. Perfect! Thank God I bought some new sneakers earlier and decided to wear them. As the night sky begins to come out, the sneakers help me walk 5 long blocks to the Holiday Inn.
The pleasant clerk at the front desk allowed me to use the kiosk and print out my ticket. As I was checking my email, a man sitting next to me asked me if I was going to the US Open. I said yes and was excited. He also told me that Venus and Serena were playing right now. Wow! I said out loud. This made me move a little faster so I wouldn't miss the Dynamic Williams sisters. My awesome sneakers get me back swiftly to the US Open, where I catch Venus and Serena play a mean game of doubles.
So what's the moral of the story? Just when you think that there is no way out, there's always a way. Or, if you feel that the day you dreamed about will never happen, just keep going, fight the fear and have faith.
