Take the journey, together

(First appeared in the Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, Feb. 20, 2026)

Dorinda and Wayne at the Braves’ first game in their new spring training complex in North Port, Florida, Feb. 22, 2020. (Wayne Smith photo)

By Wayne Smith

Gulf Shores Media Contributor

Author's note: Part 2 of 2.

Spring training games begin today in Florida and Arizona.

It’s a sign that spring is near. That winter is loosening its grip.

And the first pitch gives me a perfect place to finish this Valentine’s series — not just about baseball, but about how we chose to live.

Yes, many of our trips meant long drives south — circling spring training stops in North Port, Clearwater and Dunedin. But it was never just about baseball.

It was the journey. A hot dog and a drink. Sitting in the warm Florida sun.

Together.

That was always the point.

Dorinda and I weren’t big on expensive Valentine’s gifts. This year would have marked our 40th as a married couple.

Instead of things, we invested in trips. Granted, finances make it a challenge, especially with young children. But weigh the cost of gifts that will be forgotten against the cost of a trip that will be remembered.

It wasn’t just Valentine’s Day. Birthdays, Christmas — most of our gifts came wrapped in itineraries instead of paper. A concert. A beach trip. A ballgame.

Something to look forward to.

Something to remember.

We’d plan and save months in advance. In 2023, our home base was Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. From there, we’d drive south to North Port to see the Braves, or east to Clearwater and Dunedin.

That spring training trip would be our last.

We didn’t know it at the time. But we had a blast.

That’s what this column really keeps score of: not wins and losses, but memories.

For us, love didn’t peak on Valentine’s Day. It lived in February and March afternoons. Shared hats. Standing in line together. Long walks back to the car.

Extraordinary love doesn’t need a calendar. It shows up every day.

Dorinda outside Cool Today Park in North Port, next to Chipper Jones’ jersey number. (Wayne Smith photo)

WALKING TOGETHER

For Christmas in 2019, Dorinda surprised me with tickets to see the Braves’ first spring training game at their new North Port facility.

Traffic was a mess. Parking wasn’t figured out yet. We ended up parking at a grocery store and walking farther than we expected — back when I could walk more easily.

We enjoyed the game. The sun. The food.

Well, I enjoyed the game. Bear napped through parts of it. That was her style with baseball.

Afterward, we walked back to the car. My shoes had rubbed blisters on my toes, and she insisted on taking a photo of my battered feet to send the kids.

Not your typical vacation picture.

But when I pulled that photo up while writing this column, I laughed.

I don’t remember who won that game.

I remember walking beside her.

That picture tells the whole story.

The picture tells the story of the spring training walk.

This past Christmas, I tried to pass that lesson along.

Instead of more toys, I gave two of my grandchildren annual zoo passes. To my oldest grandson, I gave concert tickets — shows he’ll see with Pop Pop.

I hope those memories last long after I’m gone.

PICTURE THIS

I’ll close with one more Valentine’s memory — Feb. 14, 2006.

I surprised Dorinda with tickets to see Bon Jovi in Nashville. Her favorite band. More specifically, Jon Bon Jovi.

I couldn’t get seats together at the last minute. She sat one row in front of me and a few seats down.

I remember catching her glance.

She smiled.

Bon Jovi opened that night with “Last Man Standing.”

At the time, it was just a new song.

Now, after losing her to cancer last April, the lyrics feel different:

“The last chance of a lifetime, come and see, hear, feel, the real thing.”

I had the real thing.

And I have the pictures to prove it.

Dorinda and Wayne outside TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, in February 2023.

So here’s my Valentine’s message, Part 2:

Get the tickets.

Take the trip.

Walk a little farther than you planned.

Because one day, you may not remember who won the game.

But you will remember who walked beside you in the Florida sun.

Bring your camera.