Some of you know I have a daughter who lives in Belgium. Did you know that she recently had a daughter? And that my granddaughter is a dual citizen? The baby is both American and Belgian.
Trying to be the clever granddad, I wrote to the parents: “Who’s the baby gonna cheer for?” My son-in-law returned a perfect response: “She’s in the stage that she’s cheering for everyone and everything.”
What a wonderful way to be! To cheer for everyone and everything. We love cheering for our favorite teams, yet why do we need to cheer against our opponents? Why talk trash to try and make someone feel like trash? Am I allowed to marvel at skills on both sides? Can I cheer for my team and also be happy for you if your team wins?
Many of you are stopping right here: “Craig, you’re being unrealistic.” Yup that’s true. In a reality where it’s okay – even encouraged – to put each other down and wish ill-fate upon others because of manufactured allegiances or even just for fun, I’m holding up an alternative reality.
Cheer your heart out. Cheer more for one side than the other. Yet no need to be negative. Love of the game – love for everyone and everything – is the win, win.
Of course it’s just a game. Yet games are always analogies and how we think of opponents in games translates into how we think of opponents in politics and work and in all walks of life.
Yes, yes, love for everyone and everything is naive. Babies are naive. God love ‘em. Babies teach us how to be our better selves.
