Monday, October 26, 2009

Sports Roots

A L O H A!
Welcome to Waikiki, Sports Fans
don't be dodos - click on photos



“The royal road to a man's heart
is to talk to him about the things he treasures most.”
Dale Carnegie










"That deed which in our guilt we today call weakness,
will appear tomorrow as an essential link
in the complete chain of Man”
Kahlil Gibran










"The tree which moves some to tears of joy
is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way.
Some see nature all ridicule and deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself."
William Blake

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When I was a kid, sports seemed like mass psychosis to me. Other kids, and ADULTS got so worked up about a game! Couldn't they just read a book or something?




Some ancient cultures used the outcome of games and competitions as oracles. Their gods literally chose sides and chose the victors. It is precisely the combination of talent, training, & skill plus a thousand and one variables that makes sports so compelling. And they provide a wonderful survival of magical thinking. Witness the rituals that athletes and even fans go through! If I remain standing, my team will score a basket, touchdown, home run or whatever. We make idols and demi-gods of our sports heroes because they are human-yet-excellent. We also like to live vicariously
through them.





This is not purely or even mostly a conscious thing either. When your school or town wins, spirits and testosterone rise!





We no longer build civic temples, but they survive as stadiums. Local teams are one common factor across all strata and conditions of society. Sports are, after all, a surviving, ancient form of mass behavior. Something primitive within each of us, and within our "civilization" still lusts to WIN. And when we DO win, it seems that heaven smiles on us promising to bless all of our endeavors. "What we plant will flourish!"





You might suspect that this post resonates with Monday Night Football here in the US.
Silly!





It's all about baseball and the Phillies.
The team that frustrated grand dad (and an entire city for) decades. Last year I was watching the game with my dad when they won the world series.
Dad passed around 7 months later.





I'm glad we had that moment together before he got really sick and started to leave worldly things behind.
It still chokes me up when I remember him saying:
"I just wish I could drive my car again."






Yes, the mundane things of this world are more important than I realized as a grandiose, underage philosopher
all those sports-hating years ago.





Now the Phillies of my roots, complete with my Hawaii's slugger Shane Victorino, will play in the Big Game for a second year. And when they do, I'll be watching along with many ghosts.
Yes, and I'll be enjoying every mundane little thing about it including the junk food snacks.





All the precious, passing Earthly treasures!
'Cause in heaven
there aint no beer.





But all pets go to heaven - so there will be someone to play catch with!
SHOUT OUT: To Universty of Hawaii/Manoa Women's Volleyball Coach, Dave Shoji on his 1000th Victory last week.
Go Wahine!
A L O H A, Cloudia

22 comments:

Gemma Wiseman said...

Love the mix of quotes and thoughts here in this post!

And I must thank you for your recent, helpful comment on my blog! It was beautifully expressed! Sometimes I have trouble loading the blog and sometimes not. But I have so far reduced my posts by half on the main page and eliminated a host of website links! It's all being done in stages to see what works!

Happiness always!

Anonymous said...

Sports is a step towards shakinghands

Fireblossom said...

I love the bit about animals at the end. Yay, pets!

I'm going with the mass psychosis explanation, but I do follow my local Detroit Tigers to some degree. I know that our fans and your fans joined forces to vote Shane Victorino and Brandon Inge into the all-star game. But my tabbycats fell just the tiniest bit short of making the post season this time.

If I watch any of the World Series, I will be sure to root for your Phillies, Cloudia!

Hilary said...

Sports history.. quotes.. images and memories. You certainly ... ummm .. cover all the bases. ;)

I love that chain/water image.

wenn said...

The royal road to a man's heart
is to talk to him about the things he treasures most..very true..

Charles Gramlich said...

I really like football. Other than that I don't watch sports at all.

Daryl said...

I am so not into sports especially baseball .. and the Yankee fans are insufferable (my dad was a Mets fan) so I am hoping your Phillies win .. but please dont tell anyone I said that!

Aloha!

gigi-hawaii said...

Yes, your dad will be watching the World Series again with you, CC. Because of you, we will be cheering for the Phillies.

But how about those UH Warriors? Auwe! Fifth consecutive loss! Wake up, guys!

Sandee said...

I like that all the pets go to heaven. That is as it should be.

Have a terrific day. :)

Teresa said...

Great post, Cloudia. The Angels lost AGAIN. But I'm glad for you and your ancestors' sake the Phillies won. And a big congrats to the women's volleyball team. We love watching volleyball and badminton in our house. Are you surprised?

Akelamalu said...

I'm not a sports fan at all and thankfully MWM isn't absorbed by it either.

Kay said...

My husband and son have this special bond where I cannot go. They have a "secret" sports language that I just don't understand.

Elizabeth Bradley said...

I lost my dad last December, he was a diehard California Angles fan. Your post brought tears to my eyes Cloudia, I miss my daddy too!

Anonymous said...

this is one of the webs best posts of today

Anonymous said...

Severe mass psychosis describes Okla. Univ. football fans. Love the civic temple thought turning to sports stadiums. Insanity is the defense for Kanss City Chiefs fans....forever losing.'
Yep, "Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates" is a wonderful book about pets in heaven.
Our dads will always hang around their little ones....their ethics and standards keep coming back to remind us of the civility of past times. Remember the good times.
Aloha, DrumMajor

Feisty Crone said...

Oh Cloudia, I have tears in my eyes, good tears, as I recall my Dad saying the same thing about his car (a huge Oldsmobile that cost 3 times more than my Mom and Dad's first house). Great post. Hugs. Aloha.

the walking man said...

Nope still not convinced that there is a sport to be played worth the time it takes to play it. Just too singular and lacking diversity in my life I suppose.

Susan Berlien said...

I'm one of the crazy ones who gets so into sports...always have...can't explain it! :)

Marguerite said...

So sorry for your loss, Cloudia. I am not a big sports fan, but love to tailgate and go to all the parties surrounding the games. Aloha, cher!

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

I am not a big sports fan these days. My son likes karate and we both like swimming. Who's on third?
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Cloudia said...

Thank friends!
"Sports leads to handshakes"
I LIKE that!

SandyCarlson said...

So true. The world of sports is weird in so many ways. It is also a relic, as you point out. I just know if I watch Any Pettitte pitch for the Yankees, I will have a wonderful days. Happens every time. That is magic!