Good morning! You have no idea who I am, but like many, I know who you are. I know your names and I know the way you run. I have some things to say to you about your recent South African adventures.
The things you have done in the last month bring tears to my eyes. I feel so often, that in the Olympics we dominate so many sports that sometimes, we as Americans, forget what it is to hope and worry and want so badly for our time to achieve what we have worked so hard for. The World Cup has that feeling for me. I feel united with the rest of the world in this single hope, cheering on a team of 11 men who are in fact, just men.
But in your humanity, you have become so much more. I'm not sure if you have seen this, but I would like you to watch it. This one! Its brilliant. In this moment, you took a nation with a million negative headlines and gave us something else to think about. We didn't ask you to be perfect. We didn't ask you to change the world or create policies. We simply asked you to do your best and let us applaud you.
I was working on this day, when you gave us such triumph. Sitting in my cubicle answering phones and waiting, hoping and believing. My coworker had a live feed of the game and in the middle of being on the phone, helping a customer, I heard him shout in victory and I knew. I knew that I had spent the last 90 minutes refusing to think that you wouldn't reach your goal. And his one shout brought an adrenaline rush from my very toes all the way up. I couldn't sit for 30 minutes I was so excited!
So well done! Thank you for being Americans and not giving up. Thank you for giving us something to believe in. On Saturday, when the World Cup journey ended, I was sitting in my living room where I live alone. My basset hounds were napping in the corner, disgruntled that I woke them up every minute or so to cheer you on. But then the game ended I did something I don't usually do. It was silly and something that meant nothing to anyone, but me. I stood and I applauded you. With tears in my eyes and a heart full of pride, I applauded the efforts of the men I so proudly call fellow Americans.
I am just a blogger; just a woman making a living; just a soccer fan; just a World Cup fan. However, there are millions of just fans out there and on behalf of them all, well done boys. Well done.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Aliens, Feet and Sunburns
You know, my loverlies, one of my favorite movies is Independence Day. Not really for any other reason, but that the world becomes one team. We all start working together in this cohesive unit of human beings, moving as one, striking as one, reclaiming our lives all as one. Epic, no?
I love unity. I love people all coming together in any shape or form and I especially love it when things are on an even playing field. Like the World Cup. *angels singing* I love it for so many reasons, like for the unity of it all. But even more so for the fact that its doesnt feel like USA is doing something and letting some other kids come along too. Like the olympics, sometimes I feel would be so very triumphant if we didnt dominate everyone and their mother. So this World Cup, I love it. I feel unified with the entire world. Third world countries, former imperialist countries... everyone. And I love that I have a reason to watch and hope and hold my breath. I dont know already that USA has the best shot to win. We get to be underdogs and it gets my blood pumping! I wish we could have a World Cup every year! I think every summer should be dotted with swimming, sunburns and international sporting events blaring in the background of every country.
Maybe then, every summer, heros could be made and dreams could be reached in a way that is so harmless, so intrisically true in every way. But... enough of my rants and generalizations about just a game. Lets move on to more important things.
The sun beat me up this last weekend at the lake and my friends want me to try round two this weekend at a different lake. I love the lakes. I love the fun to run around swimming with friends, expending energy and just having general summer fun, but here is my delima. Having been sick, I dislike being so far away from home. It makes me nervous to be an hour out of the way of my house living on nothing but a prayer and a change of clothes. Also, my other friends are going to watch Toy Story 3 the same day and if I stay at the lake, I wont make it back.
I... KNOW! Me, the nerd who was so white she got slammed with a sunburn on her first glimpse at the summer sun wants to hang out with two different groups of people in ONE day?! Who am I and what have I done with myself?!
I love unity. I love people all coming together in any shape or form and I especially love it when things are on an even playing field. Like the World Cup. *angels singing* I love it for so many reasons, like for the unity of it all. But even more so for the fact that its doesnt feel like USA is doing something and letting some other kids come along too. Like the olympics, sometimes I feel would be so very triumphant if we didnt dominate everyone and their mother. So this World Cup, I love it. I feel unified with the entire world. Third world countries, former imperialist countries... everyone. And I love that I have a reason to watch and hope and hold my breath. I dont know already that USA has the best shot to win. We get to be underdogs and it gets my blood pumping! I wish we could have a World Cup every year! I think every summer should be dotted with swimming, sunburns and international sporting events blaring in the background of every country.
Maybe then, every summer, heros could be made and dreams could be reached in a way that is so harmless, so intrisically true in every way. But... enough of my rants and generalizations about just a game. Lets move on to more important things.
The sun beat me up this last weekend at the lake and my friends want me to try round two this weekend at a different lake. I love the lakes. I love the fun to run around swimming with friends, expending energy and just having general summer fun, but here is my delima. Having been sick, I dislike being so far away from home. It makes me nervous to be an hour out of the way of my house living on nothing but a prayer and a change of clothes. Also, my other friends are going to watch Toy Story 3 the same day and if I stay at the lake, I wont make it back.
I... KNOW! Me, the nerd who was so white she got slammed with a sunburn on her first glimpse at the summer sun wants to hang out with two different groups of people in ONE day?! Who am I and what have I done with myself?!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Everything Under the SUN! WHOOO!
I quite literally started typing a title three times before I erased it, thinking on something else to say. Finally I just decided to find a title that may warn you of the multiple things to talk about. Its a full day really. I'm sitting here huddled close to my computer, headphones blasting a USA soccer game in my ear as I wait and hope. Its 32 minutes in and nothing but attempts yet. I love it really. I love alluding to some grand piece of history or some symbolic reference that makes me feel like I live and breathe humanity. So huddled by my little radio, listening, waiting... makes me feel like some piece of the greater majority of people that have done the exact same thing for decades upon decades.
Today is my brothers b day. Naturally, since I live two hours ahead of him, I take great joy in calling him early to bug him. I know he gets up much earlier then he used to, but the loving brother that he is, he pretends to be grumpy just to add to my joy. Truthfully, one of the least favorite things about my job is when I have to take calls where people inform me of a death. I'm sad for children who have lost parents. Sadder for parents who have lost children. However the one that seems to always get me the most is the siblings. My brother and I were not always close, but in the last five years, he has become one of my closest friends. My throat tightens with grief for those people, knowing that when I'm 80 and I cannot hear, I plan to be annoying customer service reps by calling in on behalf of my older and even more deaf brother. Hopefully by then, I will have found more clever ways to annoy him then just calling him very early in the morning.
So happy birthday Boogie Boo. Today, we celebrate you in our lives and as many ways that I want to be sarcastic, I'm being serious. Thanks for being born. Thanks for being my friend. And thanks for being my brother. I wouldn't want anyone else to be my bro. There is no one else that can hit a baked potato ball with a ranch bottle during kitchen baseball as well as you can and no one else that can think up such games to keep from doing the dishes. Also, I do believe you are the only person that could upset me enough to get me to pout in the pantry... which is really embarrassing now that I think about it.
New Topic!
I had something else to say and I don't remember, must be my old age. OH! So next week is my birthday. I always feel such dread when year marks come up and I don't feel Ive done anything of note that year. I feel like this year was a wasted year and for some reason there is always such a feeling of running out of time for me. Like I'm racing something and I'm not exactly sure what. Perhaps its that I have so many dreams and I want to reach them before I get wrinkly? No seriously, if I wait until I am wrinkly to write a book, then my picture on the back will be wrinkly. I decided that my resolutions would be more appropriate on my birthday so while we celebrate my life... or just call me to wish me a happy birthday. (cards and money welcome. >_>) I have decided we will make a plan.
Now Keith can tell you that anytime I feel like I'm slipping, I make a plan. Really I could be an adventure series with all the plans I make. I have plans for spending money, plans for saving money. I have plans to sleep, plans to eat, plans for socialization. Keith finds these plans so very entertaining. As do I really. They are plans, they remind me of what I -should- be doing.
Any who, my unhappiness towards what I have deemed an unproductive year leaves me no choice but to make a plan. My plan is to set three very important goals for myself this year. 1) Run a marathon (preferably in California with much of my family) 2) Write a novel 3) Get a promotion. All very achievable goals. So... let the games begin, this year will not be unproductive!
Today is my brothers b day. Naturally, since I live two hours ahead of him, I take great joy in calling him early to bug him. I know he gets up much earlier then he used to, but the loving brother that he is, he pretends to be grumpy just to add to my joy. Truthfully, one of the least favorite things about my job is when I have to take calls where people inform me of a death. I'm sad for children who have lost parents. Sadder for parents who have lost children. However the one that seems to always get me the most is the siblings. My brother and I were not always close, but in the last five years, he has become one of my closest friends. My throat tightens with grief for those people, knowing that when I'm 80 and I cannot hear, I plan to be annoying customer service reps by calling in on behalf of my older and even more deaf brother. Hopefully by then, I will have found more clever ways to annoy him then just calling him very early in the morning.
So happy birthday Boogie Boo. Today, we celebrate you in our lives and as many ways that I want to be sarcastic, I'm being serious. Thanks for being born. Thanks for being my friend. And thanks for being my brother. I wouldn't want anyone else to be my bro. There is no one else that can hit a baked potato ball with a ranch bottle during kitchen baseball as well as you can and no one else that can think up such games to keep from doing the dishes. Also, I do believe you are the only person that could upset me enough to get me to pout in the pantry... which is really embarrassing now that I think about it.
New Topic!
I had something else to say and I don't remember, must be my old age. OH! So next week is my birthday. I always feel such dread when year marks come up and I don't feel Ive done anything of note that year. I feel like this year was a wasted year and for some reason there is always such a feeling of running out of time for me. Like I'm racing something and I'm not exactly sure what. Perhaps its that I have so many dreams and I want to reach them before I get wrinkly? No seriously, if I wait until I am wrinkly to write a book, then my picture on the back will be wrinkly. I decided that my resolutions would be more appropriate on my birthday so while we celebrate my life... or just call me to wish me a happy birthday. (cards and money welcome. >_>) I have decided we will make a plan.
Now Keith can tell you that anytime I feel like I'm slipping, I make a plan. Really I could be an adventure series with all the plans I make. I have plans for spending money, plans for saving money. I have plans to sleep, plans to eat, plans for socialization. Keith finds these plans so very entertaining. As do I really. They are plans, they remind me of what I -should- be doing.
Any who, my unhappiness towards what I have deemed an unproductive year leaves me no choice but to make a plan. My plan is to set three very important goals for myself this year. 1) Run a marathon (preferably in California with much of my family) 2) Write a novel 3) Get a promotion. All very achievable goals. So... let the games begin, this year will not be unproductive!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Good times... Great oldies
You know, I never understood the concept of oldies. I grew up wondering why people liked to listen to the same songs they had been listening to their entire lives. It always confused my little brain, but I do believe I have finally found some understanding. The good news: my mind is growing, my horizons broadening. The bad news: I'm old enough now to have some music be a nostalgic memory. That's right folks, I'm getting old! I suppose that could be the subject of a million other posts, so for today, we will simply focus on the music, shall we?
Right then... I was at work, just minding my own business and not harming anyone when all of a sudden, my coworker who enjoys playing music for all of us to suffer through started playing Enya. Now I know most of my reader base knows who Enya is because lets face it, most of you are family and dad used to play it all summer long. The other 5% of you may have no clue, but let me describe her for you. She sounds like how an ocean of smooth earthy tones would sound after eating five new age musicians and a elven princess.
So anyway, on comes Enya and for a moment, I was back in the library of my parents house. The windows were open with a summer breeze floating through. The dogs ran around, joyous in their youth and my dad was outside. I could see him walk by every now and again, working in the bright green grass. In the background you could hear a sewing machine as my mom worked on whatever project she had started. And me, I was wrapped up in Oregon Trail, listening to the music float around the house. Today, when I look back on those memories the simple song stirred, it almost feels like that song freezes time and wraps it up in a protective embrace where, for eternity, we all stay like that. All of us. In Enya's songs now, the dogs never grow old and die, the summer never ends, and I am lost, happy in my silly game where I always make a caravan full of all my 7th grade crushes and me. Luckily, the song doesn't bring back the memory that most all of said crushes died to some awful disease in the desert.
Right then... I was at work, just minding my own business and not harming anyone when all of a sudden, my coworker who enjoys playing music for all of us to suffer through started playing Enya. Now I know most of my reader base knows who Enya is because lets face it, most of you are family and dad used to play it all summer long. The other 5% of you may have no clue, but let me describe her for you. She sounds like how an ocean of smooth earthy tones would sound after eating five new age musicians and a elven princess.
So anyway, on comes Enya and for a moment, I was back in the library of my parents house. The windows were open with a summer breeze floating through. The dogs ran around, joyous in their youth and my dad was outside. I could see him walk by every now and again, working in the bright green grass. In the background you could hear a sewing machine as my mom worked on whatever project she had started. And me, I was wrapped up in Oregon Trail, listening to the music float around the house. Today, when I look back on those memories the simple song stirred, it almost feels like that song freezes time and wraps it up in a protective embrace where, for eternity, we all stay like that. All of us. In Enya's songs now, the dogs never grow old and die, the summer never ends, and I am lost, happy in my silly game where I always make a caravan full of all my 7th grade crushes and me. Luckily, the song doesn't bring back the memory that most all of said crushes died to some awful disease in the desert.
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