You'll have to forgive me for the story I'm going to spin here, but Melissa's at a meeting and I have some time to write while the kids watch "Spirit" (not a fan of that movie).
Yesterday was a bad day for me. You're probably thinking that I'm going to go off on flags that weren't thrown in the south endzone or how the luck of the Irish showed up on 6 plays through the entire game and resulted in 28 points or how the Utes won every statistical category in the game except for the mistake categories and the final score. You'd be wrong if you were thinking that. Sure that stuff boils my blood, but had I stayed home and watched the game on the TV I'm sure I would have been yelling at the TV pointing out all that stuff to no one in particular and when the game was over I would have moved on just like last week. I wasn't at home. I was sitting in the stands surrounded by ND blue and gold. I didn't spend too much time yelling because I didn't want to embarrass myself. Unfortunately the gentleman sitting (standing) next to Melissa did not share my restraint.
Never in my life have I been so offended at a sporting event. The vulgarity, obscenity and bigotry portrayed past (but because of) us towards the visiting Utah fans was amazing and I was steamed. There wasn't another bad fan sitting anywhere near us and actually everyone else was quite pleasant so I'm certainly not disappointed in the general atmosphere at the game, but this particular fan ruined my day.
When we got home I was a mess. Last week I was frustrated with the Utes and the result of the game. Yesterday was different I was down, depressed and angry. I let that man get to me without knowing it. When we got home I noticed my camera wasn't in my pocket. After checking the car and calling some friends to see if they happened to pick up our camera I was convinced that it fell out of my pocket at the game and this fan had to have picked it up and put it in his pocket because "that's the kind of guy he is".
Some time ago Spencer was having a really hard time calming down before Family Home Evening so I asked him to say the prayer. He refused and we spent the next 10 minutes talking about how the most important time to pray is when you don't want to. In the end he said the prayer and told me he felt better afterward. Fast forward to Friday night. Spencer was very frustrated at having to stop his movie and go to bed. As we knelt for family prayer I asked him if he would "like" to say the prayer. He looked at me after 20 or so seconds and said "I don't want to, but I know I should because I don't want to". He chose to say the prayer Friday night.
As I prepared to go to church this morning my thoughts were taken back to the talk given by President Uchtdorf during the Priesthood session of General Conference this fall in which he said the following:
"Perhaps there is no better laboratory to observe the sin of pride than the world of sports. I have always loved participating in and attending sporting events. But I confess there are times when the lack of civility in sports is embarrassing. How is it that normally kind and compassionate human beings can be so intolerant and filled with hatred toward an opposing team and its fans?
I have watched sports fans vilify and demonize their rivals. They look for any flaw and magnify it. They justify their hatred with broad generalizations and apply them to everyone associated with the other team. When ill fortune afflicts their rival, they rejoice."
I listened to this talk on the way to church this morning and initially I felt vindicated by the words. That man sitting next to us was the person President Uchtdorf was talking about, and yet, this talk was given during Priesthood session not in the general session. This wasn't a talk for the world, this was a talk to the Priesthood holders of the church. This talk was given to me. Then I remembered Spencer's words "I don't want to but I know I should because I don't want to".
I listened to the words as though they were directed to me and I found new meaning. I realized that I'm the man he was talking about as well. Did I not hate that fan for his words and actions? Did I not falsely accuse him of stealing my property (I found the camera this morning on the front lawn, it had fallen out of my pocket on the way into the house last night)? Was not I the one that was so prideful to take offense at his comments. He didn't ruin my day I poisoned it myself.
Yesterday was a rough day for me because of me, but today was a good day for me in spite of me, and I have sports to thank for that (and a very humble son who amazes his father each and every day).
1 comment:
Good points. Really good points.
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