I just watched the team that I love, Geelong Football Club lose to the Fremantle Dockers in an elimination final. I thought I might take to the Blososphere to help process the outcome. I felt like crying, I was yelling at the TV like a mad person - at one stage our cat Jimmy (incidentally named after a player from GFC) leapt off Em and scratched her through her jeans as a result of my yelling.
The Tim of old would let the game's result dictate my mood for the next couple of days, but I need to grow up and stop letting my emotions be controlled by sport. I am a typical Victorian and love my sport, I hate losing and find it hard to disconnect from the fact that I have no impact on the outcome. I said my prayers and even that didn't help. I told God I knew he was impartial about these things but part of me hoped Geelong were his favourites.
But there is so much more to life than sport (as I type this I'm watching ABC 2's Paralympic coverage). Not sure if you heard the story of Alex Zanardi - just another great story to come out of the games (http://www.smh.com.au/sport/zanardi-enjoys-fairytale-win-20120906-25hef.html). Where was I.. oh that's right - more to life than sport. I guess that's the thing about sport, it draws you in and I get caught up in the stories behind the actual event. For example, the champ who is down and out with his back to the wall... the up and comer, lacking experience but making up for it with enthusiasm, spunk and zeal... the under-performer or reject from another team seeking redemption etc. etc.
I have a theory about sport, not sure if it's just a male thing. But, back in the day, like way, way back we would have been having regular battles. Mano-a-mano - dudes thumping their chests and showing each other who was top dog. I mean, a bit of that goes on nowadays. At one of my jobs (no, not at church), guys are always talking about how they would knock each other over/out, whatever. Nothing ever happens, guys just like to talk about how tough they are. So anyway because there aren't many blatant displays of strength or little battles - the battle for us becomes sport. Look, it's just a theory.
Anyway, is this why sport can feel like it's so important? I know deep down that many things are more important than sport - God, family, friends, relationships, Aldi... But often I show way more passion for sport than I do for any of these things - except maybe for Aldi. I just wish I could be as passionate about God as I am at times about sport.
The thing that gets me is I don't realise how blessed I am. Like seriously how often do you stop and think about how good you've got it? I can kick back, drink a couple of beers, and watch the team that I love (in standard definition) be eliminated from an AFL finals series. Geelong could have got smashed and I'm still better off than probably 95% of the world (no real stats to base that percentage off). I sat on the beach today and thought that I'm just so lucky - I hate that word but I can't use 'blessed' again.. okay have searched the thesaurus and I'm going with fortunate. Stuff it, I am blessed - blessed up to my eyeballs.
I don't live in fear of my own personal safety (although driving in NSW traffic has its moments). No fear of deportation, I'm not on a leaky boat, I know my family are relatively safe... I've got a roof over my head, got plenty of stuff - way too much of it probably, loving wife, friends (who don't always return DVDs). It trips me out how ungrateful I can be. I can still find reasons to whinge about my life. We can suffer from spoilt brat syndrome at times - because when it comes down to it we really have everything that we need.
You might read this and think, 'That's a couple of minutes of my life that I can't get back'. That's cool, as I said from the outset To... was for me. But I attribute everything good that I have, everything that happens to a God who loves me. You might attribute it to life-force, spirit, hard work etc. The most important thing in my life is God - and I'm ashamed to think how often I let him slip down and down the priorities list. I guess the footy reminded me tonight that it's only a game (you're forced into such thought processes when your team loses). And I'm thankful for that.
I thank God that I have sport to get all wrapped in and be passionate about, but I pray my life will be about the main game and not just distractions along the way.
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| my two babies |
