Dear Steemit,
I've never been a fan of sports, especially watching them. I just never saw the appeal of them, and being invested in a sports team seemed like a waste of time. You go to a game and then you're either happy or sad based on whether this group of people you've never even met beat or lost against another group of people you've never met. I'm not a fan of collectivism in general, so rooting for a team based on your geographical location is crazy in my books.
Negativity aside, sports can be amazing at bringing people together.
Yesterday my mom asked me if I wanted to go to a baseball game with her and my brother. I have this rule where I don't say no to something unless I can come up with a logical reason (it will cause more anxiety than I can bear, it costs money which I desperately need, etc.) This ensures that I get my depressed ass out the house every now and then. So I said yes, regardless of not liking sports, and I'm glad I did.
It wasn't a major league game (is that what they're called? How did I know that?) so it was pretty relaxed. We got to choose our seats, and since the stadium was only half full, we managed to pick a spot with a good view and yet not too many people around. I was content.
Now, you may not understand how much this means, but it was hot and I was able to take my sweater off. I'm not exaggerating if I say I've worn it everyday for about four years thanks to social anxiety. I usually only take it off when I'm alone, so, in my bedroom. There's been times where I was comfortable enough to do so while around people, but it's a limited occurrence. Somehow a baseball game, surrounded by a crowd, made the cut.
The atmosphere was just so welcoming. The crowd consisted of many children and families, but also shouting fans that were playing instruments and dancing. Some people seemed annoyed with the group being really loud, but it all fit together so perfectly. I just got to sit back and watch all these people create a masterpiece. The stadium was the canvas, the game the paintbrush, and every person a unique colour of paint that was vibrant, but blended so beautifully. I can't use any work to describe it except bliss.
There were fireworks at the end, and everyone walked out of there with a smile on their face, perhaps because they saw the same thing I did. I hope so. It also could have been the beer. But we were all living, separately but together, differently but the same, and I started to understand why sports are loved by so many.