There’s a mad woman in the café where I write who looks like Sarah Silverman with a bitchin tan and she’s yelling, swearing, tweeting, shooting espresso and vaping up a shit-storm as the Germans wipe the sorry ass of her beloved Portuguese at the FIFA World Cup. I would not want to be the electronic cigarette in her mouth or the customer whose balls she just hacked down to size. Make no mistake, this is her show. After a resounding vai te foder to her opponents, she caught me staring at her, all fascinated and goofy, and the fury in her face softened, sorry sorry, she said, all gruff, and I know she meant it. She may dish it out, but when she’s gone too far, she can apologize, too. That’s good sportsmanship. I tell her I enjoy watching her (and her swinging ponytail) more than the game. She tells me she friggin misses ’86 when the shorts were short and the socks were tall. So she’s funny, too, but you don’t want to cross her. When her team lost, the Germans are going down! she roared.
Inspiration strikes. Sports ignite a raw emotion in its fans that is so much more compelling to me than the game. If only we could harness the energy, sidestep the violence and use it all for some greater good. Can’t we?
It was the 2006 World Cup, my husband was in hospital, in terrific pain. The morphine helped but his body and soul freaking rallied when a game was on. His curtained-off bed and its 5-inch TV became game central international. It brought everyone together. Orderlies, doctors, nurses and house-cleaners from every corner of the world flocked to the virtual soccer stadium of his souped-up mattress, to catch up on the latest. Excitement; mounting hope broke through the sights, sounds and smells of the hospital, broke through its worst shit — class divisions and power struggles — broke through the fear, the loss, the sadness and the pain.
Vai te foder! We are alive. I sat at the edge of the hospital chair, laughing and crying, and watched my husband’s face as he bolted up, shouting for joy when his beloved team scored.
*This has been re-posted on Montreal’s The Rover. Please show it some love right here!
FAN THE FLAMES
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GOOD NEWS FLASH: The amazing Richard Martinez is growing his heart, instead of shutting it down. He reached out to Peter Rodger, the father of his son’s killer. Here’s the story. Live and learn.
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20 Responses to We Are Alive
Ha, I’d like to meet this woman in the cafe! She sounds so passionate. And that kind of thing rubs off on you. I have no TV so have not watched a World Cup game yet, although I hear results on the news. It does seem so exciting to get swept up in it and a break from the routine. In your husband’s case, from the pain, and that sports give hope. My family comes together watching football together, even when they are mad at each other. It provides a kind of neutral ground, much the same way a terrible disaster might. Great post, Brenda! xoxo
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Your comment about how a terrible disaster can provide a neutral ground makes me think about climate change, to put it mildly, and how we should all be uniting on this, world-wide.
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That would be an excellent thing to come together on. We can hope. You can’t deny it’s not happening.
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Brenda you are brilliant! Your ‘wordology’ rocks, you are the Duchess of the short snapper!
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Seconded, and I’m stealing “short snapper.”
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Thanks, ladies, I’ve always liked to pack a lot into a little.
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Loved the piece. Also got a kick out of the use of the word bitching. I think that the term you want here is bitchin’ (sic)… as in a coined termed from the 60’s meaning cool or awesome. Unless, of course, her tan was complaining. LOL
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Thanks, Barbara, and welcome. I took off the ‘g’ but couldn’t bear the apostrophe.
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I smiled the whole time reading your blog. The fiery woman of Portuguese desent is a dear friendof mine. We talk on the phone about the day’s matche(s) and I listen to how excited or disappointed she is. It is funny to me because I am nowhere near what you can call a sports fan. Glad I found your blog (thanks to her). I especially like the bit about the sport helping you and your husband through a tough time in 2006. It would due us all good to have that type of healing passion in life. Cheers x Tina
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Thanks for your thoughts, Tina, and welcome. My enjoyment of sports is about watching its fans and getting a contact high.
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Well I am very impressed and pleased with the outcome of this well written expose! To be the source of if you will “inspiration” for whatever the reason, well that’s a great comfort to me. I want to thank Brenda for taking the time to get to know me and listening to my ramblings. She is the inspiration! Thank You!
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Nice to have you here, Eddy. Thanks for being you.
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[…] following article was originally published on Burns the Fire. It has been republished with permission of the […]
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Reblogged this on Eddy's Voice.
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I might have been that woman before.
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Thanks for that, Michelle. Interesting comment.
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LOoooooVE your encounter with the passionate, kick ass woman in the café.
How very Lizbeth of her.
Superb writing, btw.
My hubs is from Liverpool & seriously, he’s going a bit wild about this World Cup thing.
Yes. He’d take a soccer ball over me.
Damn him.
x
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Your poor misguided husband.
Thanks for your kind words.
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humans for human. sickness, sports, songs everything is created by some and enjoyed by all….
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hey i loved reading your blog 🙂
you can also follow me on sanya512.wordpress.com as i am new to the blogging world. let me know how i am doing in here.
thank you. good day
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