"I Want That Puck"

"Get back over the rail," a Century Tel Center staff told a guy at the Mudbugs game Saturday night. One of the pucks flew into the net and was within reach, if you were to stand on the railing of the bleachers. You know how it is, just as soon as the puck is within reach everybody swarms. I don't really know what for sure my boss told the guy but it was something to the effect of at intermission well get it down. I do not think that she promised the puck to him, at least I hope not but I think that the guy understood it that way.

At the intermission I stood on top of the railing and reached up there and got the puck down and turned and looked at my boss and said, "I guess I'll just keep this one." I wanted some kind of souvenir from working at the Mudbugs games and what better of a souvenir than a puck, which had the Mudbugs 10 year anniversary label on it. She nodded her head and said, "sure, go for it," and I stuck it in my back pocket.

Saturday night's game is one of the longest games that they have ever had. It went into a fifth period; Hockey games are only supposed to last three. When I sat down, after getting my "prize," I noticed a large kind of bald guy staring at me and then it registered in my brain. This guy was one of the guy's asking about the puck. He was very angry looking, with his arms crossed and his forehead wrinkled. I looked at him for a few seconds and then turned my head. A few seconds after that I got up and sat on top of the hand rail and just watched the Zamboni drive around, during last intermission.

I knew he was mad, but I wanted a puck, and I figured if he wanted one bad enough he could come down and do my job. Not that I am looking to get out of the job or anything because I love doing it. I deserved that puck because of my hard work down there and since my boss gave me the "go ahead" I just kept the puck because I figured if she would have promised it to somebody, she would have let me know. I really do feel bad over this and I kind of wish that I would have just given him the puck, but at the same time I am glad that I've got one. I don't want people to think that I am a mean person because of this. I am usually a very nice person, but this time it was a lapse in judgement. So now I have promised myself that if I climb up there, and get another puck, I will look into the stands to find that one guy, whom I will never forget his face, or maybe it was his baldness, and give him that puck. So that I can redeem myself, and have one less enemy in this world.