Friday, February 17, 2006

Oops! A Black Cat Crosses Team USA's Path

Our friendly black cat is feeling contrite; she really didn't mean to. I'm only blogging about this because I kind of put myself in a position where I have to comment on our hockey team's 3-1 loss to Sweden. Probably the women were overconfident after their come-from-behind 5-goals-in-the-third-period win over Finland. I must confess I didn't watch today's event, I turned the TV on in time to see the bright yellow Swedish team celebrating.
See, actually I'm baffled by the fact that Olympic athletes and an undetermined number of TV spectators still think the Olympics is a huge big deal even in this century when nothing is a big
deal.
Nothing is a big deal? How many readers feel this is the case? I read an article about "today's youth" that described a disturbingly large number of young people as "generic." Well, thank goodness, I don't qualify for the category "youth" anymore, because if I did, I'd be so apathetic
I'd maybe think our current President was legit.
However the truth is, sometimes I have to make a concerted effort to avoid caring about this or that world event, so as not to go nuts.
Or is it more human and appealing to go nuts over the things that happen? What does nuts mean anyway? Depressed? Yeah, it's real easy to get depressed about world events, AND many of those who've been most effective in fighting for justice and correction of wrongs in the world have been chronically depressed, so I've read--people like MLK and Ghandi and Lincoln. But then you have someone like the Dalai Lama who, it seems to me, has a rather cheerful disposition. Assuming that it could be possible to CHOOSE between a depressive and a cheerful frame of mind, which would be considered more appropriate, and in which frame of mind would a person be more effective in dealing with the big (potentially depressing) issues?
I mean clearly, to me anyway, the goal of happiness is the lesser goal--survival of the species, the planet, being a zillion times more important. Would anyone disagree? Yeah, I'm really hard core, that's why I'm sitting at a computer in my dining room playing with kitty photos instead of picketing or serving time in jail for activism or helping people in Senegal with their agriculture.
Clearly I'm all about self-deprivation for the sake of the common good.
I'm not going to stick up for myself, so you can think the worst. I'm not going to list my unselfish deeds or even my unselfish thoughts. I'm sorry the women's hockey team lost and I know they're probably feeling bad but the thing is, the kind of women who play ice hockey are not the kind to hang their heads for very long. When I played hockey I was the the team tombstone. I mean I didn't get excited if we won or sad if we lost. It reminds me of a song by the Smiths: And if the day comes when I feel a natural emotion / I'll get such a shock I'll probably jump in the ocean. Female hockey players are not candidates for the Actual Nuthouse. They are paragons of mental health. I can guarantee that if there is an exception, she is probably a third-string player.

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