Well, not really, but that makes a great blog post title.
For the past three days except for a cup or two of very strong coffee in the morning I haven’t been eating during the day. You know how it gets: You get so busy that (1) you don’t get hungry, and (2) you forget to eat. I’m feeling kind of fuzzy-brained right now, but since I’ve already made it to almost-evening without eating I’m going to try to hold out for another couple of hours. I don’t see how Muslims can do this for the whole month of Ramadan, or Jews for Yom Kippur. Not eating for a day isn’t that hard, but being coherent enough for prayer and reflection after a day of fasting can be a challenge.
On Remembrance of Things Small:
Judie: That’s a beautiful video, especially with the sound of the flags beating in the breeze.
I also love your little Mets games recaps in the margin. Life has been suffering for Mets fans ever since the team’s birth. But don’t give up! You gotta believe!
skg: you better have more life is suffering sayings to use cos were going down the toilet big time
Karl: Mets pulling a Cubbie?
Sewing some little orange-and-blue prayer flags for the Mets might be in order, Judie. Yesterday’s game was another loss, but at least we didn’t commit ten bazillion errors like we did in the previous two games. I swear, the way the Mets played those two games reminded me of a very, very bad softball team I played on several years ago.
Even though we’ve hit a rough patch I still do believe. And I’m really glad I picked the Mets to be my team. I already mentioned that a while back.
I started reading Mets blogs and message boards this season (as my fandom escalates) and am kind of surprised at the fair-weatherishness of some fans. It’s the usual, I guess: Love the team when they’re winning and hate them when they’re losing. I would have expected Mets fans (and any fans, really, except for Yankee fans who truly expect to win a championship every season) to be more emotionally prepared to ride out the team’s ups and downs. But I suppose it’s our Immediate Gratification Society that demands that we always win, never lose, and if we lose there must be someone to blame for it.
This team is quite the enigma. We have one of the more talented teams in baseball, yet have managed to underachieve all season. Sure, we’ve had injuries, but every team has had injuries. Last season was too easy, and I believe it spoiled a lot of fans. You can’t win ‘em all, and you can’t even win all the ones you’re supposed to win.
I can’t say that I’ve enjoyed it, but it has been interesting to see how this team responds to adversity. You get to see the true measure of a person — or a group of people — when times are hard. Certainly as fans we don’t get to see everything. As much as some want to see the manager and/or coaches and/or players throw a tirade to put the team’s dismay on public display for all to see, I’m OK with things in the clubhouse being kept in the clubhouse. I trust that for most (and I hope all) of the guys on the team that collecting a fat paycheck doesn’t trump losing. I think we’re too talented a team to blow the division, so I think we’ll snap out of the current funk and get back to playing good baseball. I have confidence in this team, but admit that it’s something I feel more in my heart than in my head. And isn’t that what being a fan is all about?
Which is not to say that I agree with every move the team makes. I can’t figure out why we used three catchers in one game the other night. And while I do believe in second chances, signing Guillermo Mota to a two-year contract after he had tested positive for steroids was too generous; I would have gone for one year with a one year option. Still, you never give up on your team. And if you give up then maybe you weren’t really that much of a fan to begin with.
(One of the many things I like about KO is how devoted he is to the Yanks, even in the face of utter ridicule, which is what he had early this season. But with the Sawx now struggling, KO may get the last laugh.)
The Mets don’t need to think about winning. Winning puts focus on the end result. But there are nine innings between the beginning and the end. The destination is important, sure, but if we concentrate on the path — that crooked path — we’ll get there. Everyone just needs to do their job: not too little, not too much, but just the right amount. Call this the Three Bears Philosophy of Baseball.
I’ll break my fast in an hour or so — grilled teriyaki chicken with peanut sauce! — and then take in what I hope will be a crisply played game with a good result. (Don’t want to have to duke it out with Hawaii’s Padres or Karl’s Cubs for the wildcard spot!)
Let’s Go Mets.
