Sports
Joyful Musings: Celebrating Gorgeous Men, And The World Cup
Heeter: Full disclosure, I've never played a game of soccer in my life. But when I lived overseas, I found out "football" was a way of life.
It’s a glorious time to be alive, Joyful Musers! Welcome to the final days of June and welcome to the World Cup where, even if you are not a fan of the beautiful game, it’s an event worth celebrating, watching, admiring. And, certainly, there are politics, controversies, corruption but would it be anything true, real, authentic if none of those aspects existed? I think not. I simply watch for the fanfare, the chants and the gorgeous, gorgeous men. I muse joyfully on their athleticism, their drive, their joy in kicking a ball around.
Full disclosure, I have never played a game of soccer in my life. I barely know the rules but when I lived in the Netherlands I found that “football” was a way of life, a cultural phenomenon. I’d grown up around hockey, baseball, gymnastics and the Olympics but the World Cup was simply unknown. So, in the 90’s when Ireland qualified, when streets were empty, when storefronts transformed into World Cup shops, I realized this was something big. When West Germany defeated Argentina 1-0; everyone in the world seemed glued to their televisions. I was amazed.
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And, undoubtedly, you are musing joyfully on the Scots, the Iranians, the Aussies, the Dutch. They are bringing their joie de vivre to town in competition, in color, in camaraderie. To me, it’s pure joy - whether I know who is playing or not. Those sweaty heads, those Academy Award performances when falling on the pitch, those excited fans - it’s pure enchantment. I don’t watch for technique but for the shared experience, the excitement, and, again, for the gorgeous, gorgeous men. I’ve got a huge crush on France’s Killian Mbappé, I think, while he’s only 27, if he met me, we’d hit it off and, well, I’d have to run off with him. Sure, I’m in my 60’s but that won’t matter, love knows no age.
The World Cup knows no age as well. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s a chance to learn about places both near and far, about cultures, about sports other than American football. I muse joyfully you are watching and learning and opening your hearts and minds to the joy surrounding stadiums, fans and exceptional athletes. And if you enjoy? The Women’s World Cup begins 5 September in Poland. World Cup on, Joyful Musers, World Cup on.
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Susan Dromey Heeter writes from Newmarket and often from the road where she joyfully muses on life in the fast and slow lanes. She drives a stick shift, can also ride a unicycle and recently retired after 30+ years of teaching. Dromey Heeter finds joy primarily in Milk Duds and people who make her laugh, not necessarily in that order. Follow Susan @dromeyheeter on Instagram and/or @BudgetVogue63. She can also be reached at dromeyheeter@gmail.com.
This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
