Confession: I'm not all that into football. I haven't watched a game in over ten years. But on Sunday, Feb 4, I'll be rooting for the Eagles. Here's what being an Eagles fan says about me (and probably a lot of people):
1. I'm eternally hopeful. Rooting for the Eagles is like saying even if I don't succeed today, I'm going to try again tomorrow. Listen, we've been here before, and things haven't gone our way. But that doesn't mean they can't change.
2. I will always consider eastern PA my hometown. I grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, a town about 30 miles west of Philly. My grandmother was a huge Philadelphia Phillies fan. My parents took me to 76ers games. My best friend and I went on awkward double dates to Flyers matches. Since growing up, I've lived in Virginia, Texas, and California, but Pennsylvania is in my DNA.
3. I'm willing to have my heart broken (repeatedly). See point #1. Like I said, we've been here before.
4. I'm willing to look like a fool. This one is tricky, because while I do, on occasion, wear/do things that other people might find embarrassing, I hate being mocked or laughed at. But I know that by saying I'm rooting for the Eagles, I'm making myself vulnerable to criticism and trash-talk.
5. I like having an excuse to buy green lipstick. This has nothing to do with being mocked/laughed at or wearing/doing something that other people might find embarrassing. (Besides, I have it on good authority that I'll be able to wear it again when the second Outer Space Mystery comes out later this year.)
6. I will always root for the underdog. In high school, I and three girls from my school competed in the District III swimming championship and as a team representing a school that didn't have a pool, we won the title (beating the reigning champion.) That moment remains one of the highlights of my life because thought we could beat the team that had consistently held the title, and we did. It's why I love Rocky movies but don't care a whit about boxing. I need to believe that the long shots pay off and that success won't always go to the already successful.
7. I'm loyal. You can say a lot of things about Philly fans. People think we're nasty, horrible, horse-punching people. But the thing I've noticed is that Philly fans are loyal. We don't abandon our teams when they don't win. We don't shift sides and root for the teams that have a history of being winners. We watch coaches come and go, players come and go, championships come and go, and we just keep rooting for our teams.
8. Regardless of the outcome, I'll survive. After all, it's just a game.
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Not into the Super Bowl? Read a book instead! PILLOW STALK, Madison Night #1, is a great choice, though fair warning. There is a reference to the Philadelphia Phillies...