When I was about 12 my cousin Charlie and my Aunt Gladys came to visit. We ended up watching football on a Saturday afternoon, which I despised, but I didn't mind Charlie so I watched because he was and I thought I should try to impress him somehow. However, in a clear demonstration of my ignorance and lifelong disinterest, when my aunt came in to ask about the score I proudly announced that it was 14 to 10 but State just scored so now it was 15 to 10. If Charlie'd even bothered to laugh at me I might've felt better about the whole thing but he just looked at me like I wasn't worth the space I was taking up in front of the TV. That was the day I learned that touchdowns earn you 6 points and you kick for one more.
That was also the last I learned about football for almost a decade and it was more than I really needed.
Enter Greg.
My husband likes sports. He wouldn't paint his chest and stand in sub zero temperatures to prove it but he likes sports. Inevitably they were going to become part of my life whether I wanted it or not. I had to make a decision: spend countless hours trying to read against the background noise and varied interjections or learn something about 'sports' and make the best of it. I figured I would earn some form of canonization for my sacrifice and be able to use it later when I wanted to go...say...to the local variety show.
In the end what happened was nothing short of a miracle. It started with hockey - which I now love to watch - and moved on well into football - which I'm still learning about, but looking forward to watching in three and a half hours when the Lions will begin their afternoon endeavor toward 0 - 12.
It's Thanksgiving - and in the midst of everything that's going on - I'm thankful for football and for Greg's patience when I ask the same questions over and over again...
When the clock is running out and you're down by more than a field goal, I know you go for it on 4th down...no matter what.
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