I Love a Parade!!!

Way back when, when son #1 was about 11 or 12, some Philadelphia sports team lost yet another pay-off bid. He stormed around, stomping his feet, announcing that "It just wasn't fair." He was sure he would never, in his life time, see a Philadelphia team win a national sports championship. And to make matters worse, he went to summer sleep away camp with a bunch of kids from NYC who were always rubbing it in. The Mets or Yankees, or so it seemed, never lost.

Fast forward a lot of years. Son #1 took the train in from NYC to soak up the atmosphere on Broad Street yesterday where indeed, the Philadelphia Phillies were showered with the affection of a city starved for winners. Son #2 took the train in from Washington to join him and the two brothers celebrated the event they thought they would never see.

This is but one of a million--yes, they estimated the crowd at a million--stories that were circulating around the city yesterday. A million tales of dreams fulfilled, family traditions honored and departed loved ones toasted. A million people who might as well have gone to bat each time the Phillies did. A million reasons to believe, once again, in the redemptive power of sports.

So it is with every victory--especially the major ones. A million stories of why it should happen, at this particular moment, to these particular people. Think Kentucky Derby--think those up-close and personal back stories--think of the power of winning--that it somehow makes up or take away from all those losses or also-rans.

Think also of the extreme losses--the inches away valiant efforts or worse, those that end in injury, severe disability or even death. Think of the power of competition to determine life changing events. It is indeed awesome and frightening to realize how much we Americans love a winner.

So here's to the Phillies and to my boys--who should remember this for the rest of their lives! And to the baseball gods who saw fit to let it happen...