As a topic that's been conveyed in various ways on this blog, a lesson
learned is to not get overly involved in your favorite sporting team's
fortunes. This is a rule that I've been able to apply to nearly all
sports-related aspects of my life, and it's occurred with great
success. Life, on the whole, has fewer man-made pitfalls.
And then there's my fandom of the Dodgers, which for some reason has
avoided this trend. I actually thought I had applied it, but when you
run into people who are like-minded (intentionally or otherwise), I find
old habits die hard.
Maybe it's the great success that does this...or the sense of
community. I don't know. What I DO know is that I was at a "party" on
Saturday which was decidedly not a party for the World Series, but the
hosts were kind enough to turn on the game for those intrigued. Even
the most casual baseball fans surrounded me to watch. Then a lady
entered the room.
"Oh! Who's playing?"
I think I did a sensational job by saying, in a calm and measured tone,
that this was the World Series, and the hometown team was playing game
4. In the intervening hour, Dick Mountain was doing his thing, and
apparently I was an ebullient and humorous individual.
Later on into the evening, Dave Roberts wanted to revisit the warm glow
of "Red Sox Hero" and he...well, you know what he did. I got up and
left the room. I wasn't angry (well, overly angry), but I was more than
anything disappointed. Bewildered.
A woman who's only known me a few months said "Oh no. Yeah, I can see
it in your face. It's not good." Holy Moly...that's the vibe I'm
giving off here?! The anger, the disappointment, the
frustration...that's truly on me. The over-investment didn't pay off? Well that doesn't feel good, does it?
When was the last time I felt this way? Well, it wasn't after the NFL
playoffs, or National Championship, so I must have been doing something
right, or at least better, at the time. It was...well, it was the 2017
World Series.
Dialing it back. More often than not, good advice in every situation.
"Funny" I guess, that it took two gut punches for me to realize I was
not completely free with my lowered engagement. There's wood to chop,
there's deals to me made, can't we do it with a clear head?
The Rams won. Great! Will they lose? Probably; got some good
competition coming up. Inevitable...that's how it goes. (breath)
Ahhhh.
