Thereare few places that can capture your spirit, but when you are in one, you feelsecure. These places can provide some of your fondest memories. Special placesalways find a way to reel you in; mine is Fenway Park, home of the Boston RedSox.

Attending a game at Fenway is like therapy for me. From the time thenational anthem is sung to when the ball game ends, something magical happensthat I can't put my finger on. It is almost as though I am a part of an enormouspuzzle. When the home team trots out, my excitement level rises because I knowthe fun is about to begin. I feel like I belong there as the crowd of 30,000 andI are in this stadium for the same reason - to support Boston's most beloved (andjinxed) team. The whole crowd is like one big dysfunctional family; I call thegathering the "Friendly Fenway Family Reunion."

When I walk intomy personal shrine, the smell of Fenway Franks always gets to me. Being a foodfanatic, I welcome the aroma with joy. Then a different odor enters my nose; itis the Fenway atmosphere, which only true baseball addicts can detect. As I headfor my seat, I am greeted by the feeling you get when you know you are where youare supposed to be. It is the same feeling you get when you arrive home after along vacation - and I am indeed home.

During the pre-game warm-ups, Isearch for anything that has changed since my last visit. I check if the grass isstill that dark emerald green; I make sure the bone-white chalk is in a perfectlystraight line down the first- and third-base lines. I stare at the walls for anynew markings caused by a hard line-drive. If I'm close enough, I will even studythe players' routines and reactions. Seeing how motivated they are, you know theyare preparing to put on a good show for the screaming faithfuls of Beantownbaseball.

The Green Monster is one of the most unique aspects, not just inFenway, but in all major league ballparks. In fact, many new parks try to createmammoth walls just like it. This 37-foot "Goliath" even has anold-fashioned manually operated scoreboard. The Monster symbolizes the strength,power and history of the Red Sox. Its height gives fear to the visiting teams,especially the left fielders who have to play the Monster and judge all thebounces and rolls correctly without allowing extra base hits or getting blindedby the light tower. The Monster can bedazzle and frustrate outfielders, andbecause of that it can make the difference between a victory or loss.

Just over the Green Monster is something relatively new to Fenway scenery: Twogigantic Coke towers on the left-field light tower. I always wonder if anyone hasthe strength to knock one of those bottles right off with a mighty swing of thebat. When I'm thirsty, I wonder if those bottles contain real soda. A few minuteslater, I come back to reality and convince myself to buy a beverage from anunnecessarily loud and expensive vendor. I even wonder if the Coke towers couldseat fans. I wouldn't mind sitting in the bottles because you would have anexcellent view. Even though it's a wild idea, I think Fenway should consider it.

The best part of being at Fenway is, of course, game time. I watch everygame attentively because you never know when you will witness baseball history.From the snap of the bat to the remarkable catches, to Pedro's 95-mile-an-hourfastball, Fenway is a great place because of its magnificent history that shapesAmerica's pastime. Fenway is also great because its fans know more about the gamethan any others out there. Over at Fenway, we don't believe in a curse, just goodbaseball. Like a priest is to a church, I am to Fenway. Fenway is not justBoston, it is baseball, it is life, it is my sweet sanctuary.