This weekend I attended my first soccer (football) game, Charlton vs. Arsenal. We had been specifically instructed to support Charlton, even if all you brought on this trip were Arsenal jerseys and matching underoos, and warned that if we didn't, we would be ripped limb from limb by rabid Charlton fans. I had no trouble with this, since I follow soccer about as closely as I do Ukrainian ice dancing, but some people in the group were actually Arsenal fans and were admirably subdued. I imagine it would be like having to cheer for the Yankees. I don't think I could bring myself to do that, even risking dismemberment, and I'm not even a huge baseball fan -- it's just something in the unwritten contract you sign by being born in New England. At any rate, it was just as much fun watching the fans as watching the game. I was physically knocked over by two fans sitting next to me when Charlton scored their first (and only) goal, knocked over because I found myself jumping up to cheer also. And we weren't even the rowdy section. Is this a new interest? Probably not; as far as sports are concerned I'm usually a bandwagon fan. But we'll see.

Today after picking up some things at the NEW HUGE GROCERY STORE, I was walking out of the shopping center and I heard a woman's voice. "Hello, Lady!" Nobody ever calls me Lady (though there was a Ma'am incident this summer which I would rather not talk about), so I kept moving. I heard it again, so I turned around in case I had dropped my wallet or something. "Up here!" I looked up, and there was a young woman on the balcony with her toddler, who was waving. "Hi!" said the kid, so naturally I said hi and waved, and the mom thanked me. If there is one thing my hardened, cynical self can't resist, it's saying hello to a baby. That, and butterfly-shaped ginger cookies, if the aforementioned grocery purchase is any indication.

Also, I wish I hadn't missed this.

posted by limeywannabe @ 11:20 PM