Sunday thoughts about... experiencing life

Life can be full of fun experiences, especially in Las Vegas. Whether it's going to see Barry Manilow at Westgate or walking the Strip to watch the numerous people, it provides a perspective about how insignificant many nuances are. That includes bills and annoying co-workers who are loud and spout ignorant statements. Without these experiences, life can become a wrecking ball of anxiety and stress for everyone.

Some popular hobbies include traveling and going to Vegas Golden Knights games at T-Mobile Arena. Of course, fans can also see the Golden Knights play in other venues, paying good money by traveling to different arenas. No matter if fans are going to Madison Square Garden to reunite with Reilly Smith or Nashville and turning country for the evening, it's part of the fulfilling experience of being a passionate hockey fan.

However, there was one experience that was less than pleasant for me. One which involved a group of six Gen Z kids not knowing what a hockey game was and ruining the experience. Fortunately, not everyone in that generation is insufferable like these kids. But it's what happens when you deal with drunken buffoons who don't know what alcohol limits are. What was this regrettable life experience?

The terrible experience going to a game in Los Angeles as a Vegas Golden Knights fan

It's December 27, 2022. I'm in Los Angeles, getting ready to watch the Vegas Golden Knights take on the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. The Golden Knights just got away from T-Mobile Arena after defeating the St. Louis Blues in a shootout four days prior, 5-4. The team's dealing with various health issues, leaving them to rely on AHL-level talent. Sound familiar?

Anyway, I'm driving downtown and got myself a parking spot. Walking into Crypto.com Arena (it's Staples Center to me), I'm amazed at the displays outside. There's a statue of Wayne Gretzky outside, honoring him for his time with the Kings. I enter the building and have a seat to watch the Golden Knights, accompanied by other Vegas hockey fans. Why not watch Reilly Smith and the boys put on a show for the visiting crowd?

Midway through the game, this group of six 20-somethings sit behind me and are hammered. They're screaming obscenities throughout the game, with one of the girls talking about how she slept with a hockey player before. All of this in my ear. It felt like I had ebola from the screaming. It drew the attention of the usher, who gave them a stern warning. Still, it wasn't enough. I get her hair whipped in my face, fighting the temptation to pour my drink onto her and her friends. The Golden Knights lost that game as well, 4-2, which I superstitiously chalk up to those same kids being buffoons.

However, the joke was ultimately on them as their Kings were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers. Then, the Oilers were eliminated by the Golden Knights, who... won the Stanley Cup. The moral of the story is one inconvenient life experience can be forgotten with a great one. It's especially true with the last laugh, specifically when you've dealt with drunken Southern California kids. That is an underrated feeling in life that one can cherish.