On Watching a Game You Don’t Care About

(written on October 11, 2005)

Now that the Red Sox are out of the baseball playoffs, I’m rather relieved. Because I have no stake in the outcome, I can finally relax and truly enjoy watching a game. I don’t care what happens in the upcoming games – who wins or loses, who makes an error or doesn’t, who strikes out or hits a home run. All I want to do is simply observe the way the games progress and enjoy the process. It promises to be a stress-free few weeks for me. As I thought about this last night on my way home from the college, I began to realize that this is exactly the way I should approach the “game” of life. I should think of each day as just another game – one which is especially fascinating because my favorite team is not involved. I should look forward to “watching” the way each hour and moment unfolds, just the way I will be watching the many interesting plays in the upcoming playoff games. If something “awful” happens to me today, well, that’s no more terrible than if the Angels commit an error in their first game. I don’t care if the Angels win or lose, and I literally shouldn’t care if I “win or lose”. All I’m interested in is watching the intriguing ways in which the baseball games, and my life, unfold. As far as my life goes, it should mean many relaxing days ahead for me as I sit in the “bleachers” and enjoy the many interesting twists and turns as the “game” progresses.