my life

Remember your entry on Art? I think these are related. I watch some sports. Football,boxing, and golf mostly. The reason I watch is that I appriciate someone who can do something I like, but who can do it much better. So there is definitly a vicarious aspect to it. It provokes thought. One wonders the same thing when observing art. Does the ability come naturally, or through effort? I think, of course, it is a combination but whatever the cause - the effect is simply shared experience. Something the human condition requires.

Later,
rog

Hrm. Perhaps. That would explain the interest in watching, certainly.

I’m still at a loss on the “obsessing” aspect, though.

d

Diana,

It’s belonging. It’s the desire to be a member of a clan, tribe, family, gang or whatever social unit that gives us a common purpose and goals. It’s the need to be part of something greater than ourselves. It’s patriotism in a time when patriots are suspect. It’s the great equalizer: whether you’re the university president or the janitor, you can be proud of your team when they play well and share the misery when they don’t.

Knowing the stats of your team’s players and being able to expound on them is like dishing juicy gossip about your relatives: it’s how you prove that you’re a legitimate member of the family. It’s your membership card.

Not everybody feels the need to belong. I have teams that I hope do well (Cleveland Indians and whoever is playing against Ohio State University) but I’m too much of a loner to want to associate with a group of strange people, even if they agree with me. (Grin) Not everbody feels that way, apparently.

Being a fan isn’t like playing the lottery. Fans don’t pick who they think will win; fans pick who they -want- to win. How else can you explain the existence of Chicago Cubs fans?

Dave

Wow, Dave. That’s a promising theory. And, if I may say so, that was downright poetic.

:)

d

Diana,

Thanks, but the theory isn’t mine. I read about it somewhere. (Sorry I can’t provide a reference.) As for the “poetic” part, sometimes when I’m tired or upset my writing gets more blunt. My sentences are shorter, anyway. (Grin)

And to anticipate the question: last weekend my wife found a lump above her breast. We spent today running back and forth between the surgeon’s office and the lab for X-rays and ultrasound. Results so far are inconclusive. She needs to have a biopsy performed, but that hasn’t been scheduled yet. Maybe tomorrow.

But you can see where “tired and upset” would come into play.

Dave

Wow. What an unpleasant way to lead into your Thanksgiving holiday. A lump ABOVE her breast, though? That’s weird.

I went through something similar when I was 26. Had the PAINFUL lump surgically removed. It turned out to be an infected cyst (the infection of which had spread to armpit glands…it was most uncomfortable). But this just to say, don’t worry until there’s something to worry about.

d

Diana,

Not knowing is the hardest part, but knowing that the odds are still in her favor helps. The most worrisome part is how quickly it grew - our family doctor and the surgeon both scratched their heads over that. (My wife joked about winning at “stump the doctor” two days in a row.)

She’s already made it clear that she’s not lifting a finger to make Thanksgiving dinner, and that we’re going to wait on her hand and foot. She always was good at taking advantage of a situation. (Grin)

I hope your Thanksgiving is happy and uneventful!

Dave

Thanks, Dave. :)

I hope your holiday is wonderful, as well. Spoil the lady. She’s probably overdue for it, anyway. (Not to imply that you neglect her, or anything like that…you don’t strike me as the type. But you can never spoil your spouse enough, probably. Sez me.)

I’m brining a turkey now, and about to sit down, watch old episodes of Southpark, sip wine and shell pecans. The thumb is healing. Life is good.

Y’all be sure and eat too much, y’hear?

d

Diana,

I always eat too much, not just at the holidays. And you’re right about spoiling your spouse. I’ve been practicing it for over 25 years now.

Mmmm… pecans. That’s one thing we’re missing here. Lots of fruit trees grow in this area, and of course there are grapes (we’re on the edge of the Finger Lakes wine country) but few nut trees - mostly black walnut. (I did find a couple of buckeye trees, but they’re not edible.)

Dave

Diana,

Try this link. It’s a daily blog-like list of teasers and links to articles about philosophy, religion, art, psychology, and other touchy-feely things. (Grin)

This might be where I found the idea of sports team fans as clans.

Dave