Thank you Euro 2012

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post and I think it is due to writer exhaustion. I finished my Master’s in Humanities back in September and went right back into teaching full-time, at a new school, new staff, new kids, new desks, new classroom…but no real new excitement for the task ahead. I have already thanked those people who made my new teaching experience better than expected so I will say no more.

But why stop writing on my blog? I love writing pointless musings out into the internet so why stop? It is true that Glee reviews provided no more life (thanks Glee writers for sucking it up). Yet I had other shows to write about like Mad Men and the troubled existential hero that is Don Draper. Or a new Game of Thrones where I could nerd it up with the rest and discuss why the writers decided to make Robb’s object of desire a foreigner to Westeros instead of lady Jeyne from a lesser house. There was the Canucks pathetic playoff push that produced more pedantic punditry than passionate puck-action (honestly I was still tired from last year to care as much…tears were there but fewer tears that’s for sure). The point is that there were things to write about but I didn’t and I can’t really say why.

And so I say Thank You Euro 2012 for the passion to write again. The first game I intensely watched was Italy vs Spain and at times I literally felt my heart beating faster as players controlled, passed, attacked, defended, with such brilliance that I had an existential experience of the beautiful game. If you don’t like soccer and want to scoff or turn to someone and snicker because you need affirmation of your physical inadequacy, go ahead. I smile condescendingly to you through my computer screen. Football is played by more young people in Canada than hockey is played by the same group in the entire world. Sport brings people together more so than pretty much anything else and since soccer is the most popular sport…I digress.

Watching that game was a fantastic experience not only because it was my two favourite international teams (aside from Canada which is my heart and soul but sadly, I haven’t seen them in a major tournament ((I don’t count the Gold Cup)) and have vague, grainy memories of WC 86 in Mexico and therefore haven’t experience the same passion yet. I had a small, black and white poster of Bob Lenarduzzi, signed, but don’t know where it went), but because it was the best of the sport. Both goals were spectacular but it was the defending and ball control that truly amazed. I loved it and I loved the tournament because Italy went far. The final was crushing as it was in 2000 and 1994 when my love affair with the Azzuri began in earnest.

Yet rather than break up with my girlfriend after Baggio’s missed penalty in ’94, or mope around my wife and I’s new suite after France’s injury time dagger in 2000 (I mean come on! 5 minutes of injury time when no one was injured in the half! Conspiracy!), I took the loss to Spain (may their greatness be ever praised) in 2012 with stoic courage. It was Canada Day and there was a party in our culdesac (and for some reason, friends were actually praying that I wasn’t going to be grumpy which is like praying that someone won’t be sad when a loved one passes away. Ok, maybe not that dramatic. More like if a distant uncle passed away…or a cat) and therefore, stoicism was called for. I could have turned out the lights, run a bath, grabbed a bottle of Chianti, and cried in the tub (like my brother did). Or walk up and down the street muttering to myself, “Why make that sub Prandelli? You knew he was hurt?” drinking beer (like my other brother did). No. I carried the burden, played the relay games, had a few beers, bbq’d for people, took the insincere pats on the back, and carried on.

Now it’s time to write again and I invite readers (all 5 of you) to write as well in the little comment box or on your own blog. Here’s the question to ask yourself if you want to write: what one thing inspires passion enough to make you want to tell someone else about it? Find it and write it down. (and if you want help making your own blog, I’d be happy to help)