The other evening, I found myself in front of the TV, flipping between college football, college hockey and professional soccer. Sometimes the seasons overlap and it's a bonanza for sports fans. In fact, there are few times of the year when you can't find at least one sport televised.
So what's the attraction of sports? I'm sure everyone would have a different answer: the display of teamwork, the emotion of winning or losing, the athletic skill. For me, it's simple: I like having no idea what the ending will be. Surprise me! And sports do that. I might have a vague idea of the probable winner, but I've learned many times that I can't really know, which makes it all the more exciting for me.
That's my preference in reading and writing, too. I don't want the formulaic, I want the new and unexpected. I don't want to know what's behind the door or the curtain or the fence until it's revealed. Surprise me!
I guess that's what life is like, isn't it? You never know what's coming next. I wonder if that's why some people prefer the formula: because they think life is already unpredictable enough. I can respect that, but it's not me. My life at times becomes too predictable. The alarm goes off, I get up and get ready, I go to work. I work until break, I eat a snack, I work until lunch, I eat lunch, I work until break, I eat another snack, I work until 5:00, I go home. That's when the day becomes a little more interesting: I'm in charge of my time again.
And this week, I'll choose to spend some of that time watching the World Series. I might be able to look up the odds online, I might know who I'm rooting for, but I don't really know which team will win.
Surprise me!
(To those of you who know me: you know who I'm rooting for, but I'm keeping it to myself so I don't jinx anyone. You understand, right?)
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