Yay Sports!

They won. 

They FREAKING WON!!!!!!!!

My favorite part of any World Series is the mound rush. It makes me cry every time...
{These pictures are taken off of my TV, btw, classy. I know...}

Right now, I am clinging to the high that is a Cubs WIN at the World Series. 

They didn't make it easy. 
Game 7.

A tied game.

Ten Innings.

Rain delay.

Relief pitcher. 

Ground ball for the out. 

My god. 

I'm exhausted.

History. Made.

But as I watched my Facebook feed explode with the highs and lows of the entire game, I felt it. I felt the beautiful moments of humanity when we come together to experience something bigger than ourselves. I get that there is something mildly superficial about watching sports. I get that it is a male dominated layer of our society that is taken too seriously. I get that the inordinate amount of money spent on any given aspect of sports could be considered a crime. 
{$15 for a beer? REALLY???}

And if I begin to overthink these things I can get pretty riled up. I want to be a person that advocates for equality, doesn't give into societal stereotypes, and pays a reasonable price for a ballpark beer.

BUT.

There's a purity and a goodness that gets stirred up in me when I am cheering with the throng of  crazed fans--virtual or otherwise.

This type of win brings us together--even if we don't love the Cubs. The fact that I can all talk about this historic win with anybody-- kids, strangers, family and friends, shows me that being a part of humanity like this is something I cherish and savor. I think I captured some of this feeling in my post about the BRONCS! winning the Super Bowl because the BRONCS! win was my Cubs win. I was with them every step of the way--blood, sweat and tears. I didn't wait 108 years, but man, it felt like it!

The experience of being a part of something bigger than us gives me hope. 

Hope that pure unadulterated joy is possible.
Hope that being fully invested in something has its rewards. 

Hope that if the Cubs can win the World Series, anything is possible. 

I've been on the flip side of all of this too.

I took this picture of an Indians fan during the first inning:

Poor guy. 

I get it. 

I've been this guy soooooo many times.

So many. 

But this too is a part of the experience. 

I woke up in the middle of night thinking about the heartbreak this guy must be feeling today--his team has been waiting too....he believed. 

But it wasn't meant to be.
And even though that is true for him {and all Indians fans} for me, all of this boils down to the fact that we're not alone.There's a unified solidarity that inspires me that there is good in the world.

I get to cheer with Bill Murray and feel his joy, his relief, and his experience with magic.

Let's face it. 
Life is too complicated and chaotic not to embrace the miracle that is a Cubs win.
We all needed this. And I for one am grateful to have been a part of it. 

The Rockies Lost...

I don't mean any disrespect to the Rockies or to the fans, but this Rockies loss was a huge highlight for me.

I am mentoring a few kids at school and through a generous donation of some FANTASTIC seats we got to go to a game. This was the first time for these boys to see the Rockies play. When we walked into the stadium they were in awe of EVERYTHING. The people, the concession stands (I heard one of the boys explaining to the other how the concession stands worked on the way in...and now, here they were!) the field, the lights, everything.

As we settled into our seats with hotdogs, sodas and peanuts in hand the boys took everything in. We cheered, we booed, we people watched galore. We were on our feet for an almost grand slam, and we put our hats into "rally" position.

But alas. The Rockies lost. But who cares...this miracle in the mundane was really fun and it will stick with me for a long time.