The last two months have been a bit rough on me; along with some unresolved health issues, I'm still dealing with this whole unemployment thing. So I've been a bit more angry than usual (and the excessive cold hasn't really helped, either). But, as with my last post, this one was prompted by a bizarre series of incidents from the latter half of this last week, and involving my two favorite sports teams.

 

I have been a Manchester United fan since I was about 13. I adopted them, not because they were at the top of the league, but because I have ancestors from the Manchester area, and because, even though I was looking at many teams at that time, for some reason I was drawn to United. After I came back to the US I was unable, for quite a while, to follow them, as the US wasn't airing their games at that time. But once I was able to reconnect, I have remembered why it was I fell in love with this team. (And is it any wonder? Their current mascot is an adorable devil that goes by the name of Fred, and they also had a goat at one time! - but I digress)

 

 

 

On Wednesday, in an away match to Fulham, roughly 3 mintues before halftime the stadium lights went out leaving the pitch in twilit darkness. Although blackouts aren't unheard of, this was the first time I had ever seen it happen. The lights remained off for about 11 minutes, after which the last few minutes of the first half were completed and the game resumed normal play.

 

My Devils managed to squeak through that game with a narrow win. After a trouncing the week before in an FA Cup match, Fulham were eager to win this game and gave United a real run for their money (plus, Robin has seemed a little off his game in the past two matches, hope all is well with him).

 

I have been thinking about moving to the east coast for a few years now. As you know, I'm an avid genealogist, and I've pretty much exhausted my genealogical resources out this way, so moving to the east coast would put me right in the middle of my ancestral landing spots (some of my ancestors arrived here as early as 1635). Once I finally made the commitment to move I readily adopted the home team of my chosen destination: the Baltimore Ravens.

 

 

The Ravens were named after Edgar Allen Poe's seminal poetic squawker as an homage to the man who lived, died, and is buried in Charm City (aka Harm City, and Bodymore). As you may know, the Ravens made it to the pinnacle of their sport by winning the Super Bowl (aka The Harbowl) yesterday. But shortly after halftime, a strange thing happened: half of the stadium lights when out.

 

(Cue Twilight Zone theme)

 

How weird is that? Both of my teams experience blackouts within days of each other. And both of my teams come back after, to win their respective games by narrow margins!

 

I'm not a big believer in "coincidence." I believe things happen for a reason (and yes, sometimes that reason is because you're stupid and you make back decisions), so for this to happen at a time in my life when I've been almost as depressed as I was at the worst times of my life, I can't see this as a coincidence; this happened for a reason.

 

And the take-away message I got from this is that the lights may go out (things may happen that sap your will), but you can still win - if you want it bad enough.

 

I also believe that the songs we wake up singing can give us insight. Well, I woke up with "After The Rain" in my head. Some songs speak volumes, and this one is a direct response to my experience this week. But honestly, how many "a-ha" moments does it take to get a message across?!

 

 

Sometimes we feel like giving up or giving in, when all we need to do is change tactics. Well, I've told you my motto before, and I can honestly say:

 

I am not giving up.

 

I am not giving in.

 

I am only changing tactics.