This weekend we watched three important games - our son J playing basketball in the quarter finals and Canada Men's Ice Hockey playing in the Olympic final. Both games had positively jubilant outcomes.
I am not a passive spectator
I follow the puck or the ball with my whole body - swaying this way and that as if it were I moving towards the net or goal. I hold my breath when a shot is taken. The outcome elicits my gasp or groan; yelp or cheer depending on the outcome. I'm loud. I stamp my feet. I explode out of my chair when some brilliant play pleases me. If I could, I would whistle loudly with pleasure. If the games are close, like they all were this weekend, I cradle the stress and nurse it for the entire game. Only after the game do I realise how much tension I have carried. It takes hours to feel normal again. While it drains my energy, I don't ever want to stop being a fan. It's the best work out I know.
4 comments:
Although it would have been great to see the USA win the hockey gold, I must admit, I felt excitement for the Canadians. Who wouldn't want to win when the olympics are in your own country and to win against the Americans. It was a fun game but the thrill of the players, their smiles and the national anthem being sung by the 'whole country' just warmed my heart. I'm sorry the whole thing is over. It was an inspiring two weeks.
Both US/Canada games were incredible, and congrats to J.
and I think that if I look away even for a second, my team will lose. It's all about me.
Bonnie, I loved your description of watching those games. Wow - how fun to have a champion in your family. And what a great gift to have enjoyed the olympic coverage. I was totally transformed by the the whole olympic adventure. It felt so good to be Canadian.I don't remember ever feeling like this before. Interesting that even though this was a week of watching many athletes awarded for their diligent effort to perfect and ultimately claim their prizes, it was also an opportunity to watch a country gather together and create a unified team of support that was felt from ocean to ocean. Amazing that this 2 weeks could have this impact. Amazing that government and politics, education, religion, war or dispute have not had this impact. Merely the contest of individuals- their private victories, their struggles and even some of their defeats and disappointments were the fuel for a flame that ignited a swelling storm of encouragement, jubilation and pride. A team was created that included our whole country. The traditional boundaries dissolved and a whole nation rose and cheered each and every Canadian who came to contest. I learned an important lesson from all of this. Don't tell people that they should come together - give them a vision, and a dream - your own dream. You just go and do and be successful and that alone will create in others around you a desire to be a part of your cause. Your vision must be firmly established - you have to pay a price up front - but when it begins to grow it will start to gather interest and eventually fans will cheer and support will come and finally others will start to build their own dreams as a result of yours. So Bonnie.... go ahead and write the LSAT - you will probably transform all of us in the process!!!
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