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Hope Spring’s Eternal - Take That Winter!
Aside from the riveting weekly drama that the NFL provides I see few, if any, additional reasons to find winter tolerable. Those of you out there that claim anything aside from spring/summer as your favorite season are not being truthful. Have you seen the weather this winter in the Midwest and east coast? Need I say more? But, I digress. This tome is about spring and more specifically what spring brings and means to all of us.
Yes, there is a rebirth of flora and fauna. Leaves sprout, grass comes to life, birds return and snow melts. All of these events and countless others are great and certainly signify that spring is on the way. While working for a green conscious, earth caring, eco-friendly student travel company these yearly occurrences listed above are what my colleagues tend to focus on. Good for them. Good for the planet. However, I’m not talking about any of these events when I discuss my yearning for spring. Here we’re referring to the return of our Nation's pastime… BASEBALL!!
Ever year around this time when most of the USA is marred in sub zero temps, gray skies and snow filled streets, there appears a glimmer of light at the end of the winter tunnel. What is this flicker you ask? It’s the fact that baseball teams from all corners of this great nation are reporting to Arizona and Florida respectively for the commencement of Major League Baseball Spring Training! Nothing gets me more excited than the anticipation that this time of year brings. I stop complaining about the expected snowfall and instead focus on 2011 being the Year of The Cubs! It’s going to be -10 tomorrow? So what, I think Carlos Zambrano is going to put it all together this year. It’s cloudy again? Who cares, Kerry Wood is back in Cubby Blue! Spring is still officially two months or so away? Whatever, this years team looks special.
As Spring (Training) begins everyone is optimistic. Positivity reigns supreme. Yes, that’s a word. The earth is coming alive again and the Cubs aren’t dead yet! The inevitable 10 game losing streaks, overpaid veteran players not producing, and injuries that lead to another lost season are pushed way back in my mind. Those are thoughts for the regular season and being a life long Cubs fan always appear unavoidable. It’s ok though because from now through the end of March I’m thinking optimistic. I’m imagining what hoisting the World Series trophy feels like and picturing in my head how this can happen for the Cubs. So as players descend on two of our warmer states and I begin the 30 minute preparation to get ready to brave the arcticesque outdoors, I shout “Take that winter, spring is here and although it’s been 103 years (not a misprint) since the Cubs basked in the glory of a World Series victory this is going to be the year.”
