Relative Something

I have no idea what it would be like to watch the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series with my team playing, but I’m finding it incredibly exhilarating watching this year’s battle between Chicago and Philadelphia. I’m pretty sure I’d be a nervous wreck if Minnesota was playing.

In a little over a week, I’ll really be suffering anxiety as I try to watch the USA soccer team in the World Cup. It’s one of those things that I wish to happen, but then when it does, it’s almost more than I can bear. The World Cup tournament lasts until July 11. Before we get to the end of that event, the Tour de France bicycle race will be under way. It’s an embarrassment of riches for this sports fan.

It just occurred to me that I will likely be unable to watch the first soccer match between the US and England as I will be on riding on the 36th annual Jaunt with Jim bike trip that day. What’s a boy to do? I wait for years to see the World Cup, and then when the first game of the tourney for my team finally arrives, I am not available to watch. I don’t know what the moral of that story is, but I’ll learn something from it eventually, I’m sure.

If it weren’t for life’s little challenges, I’d only have major dilemma’s to learn from. I’m a fan of the more gentle approach to learning.

If it is true that people need to reach rock bottom before they are willing to choose to take on the hard battles of facing their demons, it might appear that the logical thing to do to help people is assist them in reaching rock bottom, no? That brilliant inspiration arrived courtesy of the character, Michael Scott, in a rerun episode of the television series, “The Office.” I know it doesn’t directly relate to what I was writing about, regarding life’s little challenges, but sometimes you gotta go with the flow of what pops into your mind. Free association. Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is. Before you know it, you’ve got a ‘stream of consciousness’ exercise happening.

It’s like a little vacation adventure for the mind. One of the most affordable vacations imaginable. It also works as an aid in diffusing the mounting anxiety when your team is under extreme pressure in the biggest tournament in the world. Personally, I think England is under much greater pressure than the US. If they lose to us, it just might push their fans to rock bottom. It would be the least we could do to help them along with life’s more difficult battles.

Go, Chicago! Go, USA! Go, Team Radio Shack! I’ll be watching, in between a few mental vacations.