I love football. It's wonderful to watch. It's an exciting game and even if my team isn't playing, even if it's not particularly the msot exciting match - I love to watch two teams playing football - at the ground, on the TV, wherever!
My fiancee however does not. She despises the game. It's probably her most hated thing in the world and the reason for this has nothing to with the game itself but with the fact that she probably thinks its the most important thing in the world. It also doesn't help that thus far, this has been the year from hell for her too. I won't go into any detail, so as to respect her privacy but suffice to say, it's been shithouse for her and I have hardly been there to support her. And why - because of football and my unbelievably selfish and ridiculously over-the-top love for the game.
A lot of times this year, I've put football, in particular St Kilda games before our wedding this year. I promised her I wouldn't buy a St Kilda membership because we needed the money for our wedding. I not only then bought one, I upgraded to Social Club!
And when things to do with ther wedding come up, my first thought and usually out loud to her is: "Does it clash with a St Kilda game" - and this is just the meaningless home and away crap - how the hell am I gonna be in Spetember when it reallyy matters and I'm getting married in a month?!The thing is, we all joke about football being the most important thing and nothing would mean more to us then winning the flag, but you know what - that's just white line fever talking there. I should know, I'm addicted to that. I can talk like this now, because I won't be having any contact with footy until next Sunday - I bet by then, i won't even have this post in my head.
Because I've come to realise lately that if St Kilda wins the flag this year, it will be fantastic and I will be deliriously happy, but it WON'T be the most important thing to happen this year. Or even in my whole life. Because, I'm only twenty-five. There's more to life than footy, there genuinely is.
I'm getting married in October - above everything that should be the msot important thing to happen in my life - let alone this year!
I've been a supporter of this club for almost twenty years but what have I been through? The ever so tough 2000-2002 period where we played like utter crap and got belted every week. And sure, this happened during my twilight high school years but if that's the worst a St Kilda suppporter has had to suffer considering horrible periods like 1979-1988 and anyone born in the late 60's or early 70's who has witnessed thirty or more years of medicority with nothing to show for it except a DVD release
, well I think I can say, I've had it pretty freaking easy.Yer, football means a lot to me and I love it and all, but I'm smart enough to have perspective on everything and understand just what it really means in the grand scheme of things. I mean, let's break it down - it's fifty thousand feral bogans wearing colourful scarves and beanies, screaming at 44 blokes dressed in ski jumpers chasing a leather ball around.
My question is this though: Do I take football too seriously? Are we in fact all a little guilty of doing this? Of losing the perspective on real life. We all want to see a premiership and some of us are running out of time but for those of us who have lots of time left to worry about this, what's the deal, seriously? Is it really the be all and end all? All this emotion and hope and expectation for what - maybe a week, maybe four weeks of delirium and self-satisfaction.
The other thing is, I don't think there's anything in the world my fiancee loves as much as I love footy - am I a genuinely horrible person for this? I'd like to think Im not, but perhaps I'm the one losing perspective. I wish there was a way to show her how much the game meant to me and at the same time, how in ther grand scheme of things - when i'm level headed, how little it means to me in comparison to every other aspect of my ife.
I implore everyone, no matter how long you've waited for this to put it all into persepctive. Enjoy football, but don't lose perspective on life. Don't make the same mistake I have done and will probably in spite of this post continue to do, because one thing is for certain, even if we do win the flag this year and I am there on GF day to see it - it won't by a long shot be the most important and wonderful thing to happen this year. October 17th, 2009 will be the greatest single day of my life regardless of what else happens this year - anything else is just a bonus.
Having said all that, geez, I hope we win the premiership this year!
