My tribe used to be nomadic, but I have never been one to wander. In
my 41 years, I have lived in only 11 different houses, apartments, and
dorm rooms. Aside from family, I have only lived with two other people,
an ex-girlfriend in Seattle and a freshman-year roommate at Gonzaga
University. I also hate to fly. Whenever I travel, I have nightmares
about dying in plane crashes. Once I dreamed I was working in an
office, safely connected to the earth, when an airplane crashed into my
building.
Yes, I have always been a lonely, frightened, homesick bastard.
So during my recent trip to France, when I returned to my hotel room
at the end of each working day, I turned on CNN International for
comfort and heard endless reports about the upcoming European Cup
championship soccer match between Manchester United and Chelsea. This
match between two venerable British franchises was to be played in
Moscow, Russia.
This match was expected to be so passionate, and its fans so crazed
and potentially riotous, that the Russians were curtailing alcohol
sales. You read that correctly. Russians were worrying about the
negative effects of inebriation.
I don’t drink, and I’m not violent, but I love my Sonics with
passionate intensity. Many crazy and contradictory British folks are
traveling to Russia so they can watch the game on Moscow sports bar
televisions. Will I have to ignore my fear of flying and hatred of
right-wing billionaires and make a few crazy and contradictory trips to
watch Kevin Durant lead the Oklahoma City Whatevers? 