Ooof….I’m writing my first blog on the last day of June.

#Iknowdude

There’s something going on in my brain. I cannot get words down on a page before I am distracted by someone or something. It’s hard to explain, but dang, getting this done has been tough this month. I have three different blogs started, but I just never come back to them. This is not me, but yet, it feels like me right now. How do we work through this block of sorts? I don’t know. I just know that the writing is few and far between. I hate being that guy, but a sign from the blogging gods would be great. That “this is why you should/should not continue down this pathway.”

#goodness

Anyway, a day or two ago I stumbled over this gem:

Now, some back story first. If you are completely off the grid, you may not know this, but the world has descended on the United States for the World Cup. Our president has made it harder for people to get here. The Haitian delegation was completely kept out except for the soccer players, coaches, and support personnel. No “fans” were allowed in. They had to set up their “home base” in Mexico, cross the border to play in the US, then cross back over after each game. A referee who was to have officiated a World Cup game (a pretty big deal) was not allowed into the country, and missed his chance to do something that was a lifelong goal.

However, with that backdrop, teams came. Fans came. And they created SO many different things came with the world. I’m not soccer person, though, since my move to my current classroom, I’ve had to do better or my Hispanic boys (and girls) will roll their eyes at me. When asked “Ronaldo or Messi”, my answer of Messi was a good one in their eyes. I went outside to play with them a couple of times, and didn’t look like a fool.

Our other experiences wiith soccer was with the EuroCup in Scotland two years ago. We were in Edinburgh while the Scots were trying to make the qualifier and the pubs were FULL! We were clueless until we got into one of them and jockeyed for a seat. The place was packed, trying to will Scotland to a win. However, when the winning goal was scored, not Scotland’s, right at the end of hte game, you could have heard a pin drop. Grown men, who’d been screaming a the TV earlier, were now crying. It was then when I realized just how much people invest in their soccer team. We were in Belfast a few days later, and walked into a restruaunt that was full of Great Britian fans, doing the same thing. They were ANGRY as we walked in because their team was playing like crap, but by the end of the match, they were chanting and cheering because GB had won.

So, what’s gone on in America? Japan shows us how to do things by cleaning up the stands after their matches. My basketball girls will not like this, but they will be doing something similar this upcoming season. The reports out of Boston gave us the Scots just being overly friendly, drinking COPOUS amounts of beer, and being generally happy with everyone! There were Brits trying brisket for the first time. And the Dutch! THE DUTCH! The Orange Army was out in full force with their “left right” song! People discovering Buckees and Costco for the first time. Air conditioning was a big deal, as were free refills and jumbo preportions.

So when this song popped up on my TikTok feed a couple of days ago, I cried. So much good will and happiness have been created here with this torunament. Listening to it again and again, it just makes my heart incredibly happy.

However, it also shows something about all of us. Many were worried about coming the USA, and rightfully so. There’s so much negative energy with our country right now. But when we ALL got together, sure, our colors and languages are difffernt, but in the end, we are one people. Who keeps dividing us? Not us, but so many others want us divided, fighting among ourselves. My hope is that more people realize that what makes us unique are the language, the stories, the foods, the colors. They should be afraid of it, but embrace it!

Living in Iowa, nothing was really close, so I watched longingly from afar. Today, I sent my college roommate a video of the Orange Army doing their pregame parade and said, “Two years. EuroCup. We are their dressed in orange.”

He laughed.

But didn’t say no.

#dreamscancometrue