'Nice try': A mother's memory
It was 1946. Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, Ladies Day. My mother and her best friend were skipping school to take advantage of free admission to see their Cubbies play. The only problem was they were only 14. Two years too young.
Without hesitation, my mom's father drove them to the ballpark. It wasn't unusual for these two sassy gals to play hooky to watch a game and he had no problem with that. (Hey, it was a different era back then.)
In an effort to make themselves appear older, Mom's friend had confiscated her older sister's makeup - lipstick, a bit of rouge and eyebrow liner.
Once at Wrigley, they swiftly painted their faces and then waited in the ticket line, palms sweating.
The hopeful crowd was bustling. Hawkers yelled, "Get your programs here." The aroma of Vienna Beef corn dogs wafted in the air. Drunks sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
They were thrilled. It was going to be a great day.
When they reached the front of the ticket booth line, Mom's friend casually said, "Two tickets for two ladies."
The guy at the ticket booth peered closely. "Hey, you're not 16."
Never one to be intimidated, Mom stepped forward, "Yes, we are."
"Prove it. What year were you born?"
Mom hesitated. Math wasn't her thing, not to mention she was lousy at thinking on her feet. She frantically searched her friend for a clue but neither one could figure out if they needed to count up or down.
"Umm ... 1935?" she stammered.
"Nice try. That'll be $1.80 each."
Mom batted her eyes to no avail so they reluctantly paid and hustled into the stadium to drown their humiliation in a box of Cracker Jack.
Sharon Extrom and Janice Extrom Sheridan
Arlington Heights