09/15/2026
I've been working the concession stand at our high school varsity football games the past few weeks. Let me tell you, that is a whole new level of crazy right there.
But if I'm going to be honest, I also kind of love it.
You get to see all the kids in their element and hear parents cheering for their players and marching band members and cheerleaders and dance team and color guard and all of the other kids who participate in Friday Night Lights.
You get to hang out with great volunteers and help serve your school and community.
And you can do some pretty awesome people-watching.
I grew up going to a big football high school, but my family has no connection to the sport where we live now. My kids go to the games, but they do other activities.
And guess what? I'll complain about how that concessions stand is fast-paced and exhausting and loud and overwhelming--but the truth is, I get such a kick out of it.
Here are just a few of my thoughts:
1. I’m pretty sure I sold $20 million worth of food and drinks from my window alone. This must be how they fund new stadiums.
2. We really really, really, really need to respect waitstaff and retail workers more because sometimes I forgot what Gatorade color the kid wanted from the two seconds when he told me and I turned around to get it out of the refrigerator. Remembering stuff when chaos surrounds you is hard. Service with a smile is harder.
3. 98 percent of people are incredibly nice. Don’t let those two percent ruin it for you.
4. When you are on your feet for three hours, and you are old, you will feel like a Mack truck hit you the next day. Maybe into the day after that, too.
5. Hell hath no fury like a five-year-old girl whose dad won't buy her Skittles.
6. The people who run these types of endeavors are freaking saints and deserve all our gratitude. They run around town trying to procure items that are in short supply right now. They give up entire days to serve, sometimes missing their own kid's big plays or performances. They listen to complaints about how we ran out of Sierra Mist or burgers or Starburst without snottily reminding said complainers that they are just a volunteer, not the CEO of Concessions Inc. I think they should be knighted.
7. Your kids are helping each other. They are buying waters for their friends, sharing chips, loaning them a dollar, and paying a balance when someone is short fifty cents on their debit card. People say crappy things about the way we are raising teens, but their hearts come through when their friends are hungry. It's the sweetest.
8. Nothing tugs at my heart more than when a young boy who towers over me that I haven't seen since 3rd grade shouts, "Thank you Camryn's mom," when you hand him three cheeseburgers. All the feels on how fast time flies.
9. I will never not be amazed by the fact that you can pay for a hot dog by tapping your watch on a little black box. Technology is wild.
10. Your kids are eating a lot of candy. That’s where all their money goes. The end.
A dear friend of mine suggested we write a book entitled "Reese's & Ramen: Confessions from the Concessions."
It could happen. I'm headed back this Friday.
