Sunday Night With John: Emotionally Connecting Over Cleveland?

I remember so much about the following moment.  I was sitting at a table with one eye and both ears on my friend singing karaoke at a place called the Red Lion.  My other eye was on the television set in the corner of the room.  It was game two of the Eastern Conference NBA finals when Lebron was still a good guy for my hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs were playing the Magic in a game that was coming to down to the wire. Down two, with only a second or two on the clock, Lebron hit a three pointer at the buzzer, winning the game, and sending me into frenzy. I ran out of the Red Lion and into the parking lot where I dialed up my brother and we both screamed into the phone at each other for a solid ten seconds before we could hold a conversation. We were both so overjoyed and held such a strong emotional connection to a team from our hometown.

            My brother and I have grown up watching the Cavaliers with our father and spending moments together sitting on the edge of our seats hoping, wishing, and sometimes praying for a win. Sports have a way of connecting us to one another in mutual joy or mutual disappointment. It’s always more enjoyable to be on an emotional roller coaster with company. Recently, rooting for Cleveland teams has given my brother and I much more in the disappointment column. The moment Lebron hit that shot, my cup ran over with joy and excitement and I just had to share it with someone.

This happens with movies, plays, getting hooked into great television shows. How many times have you been at a party where you didn’t know too many people and were just hoping for some one to mention football, the latest superhero movie, or the last episode of that TV show you watch? You were just sitting there, waiting to emotionally connect with someone to feel like we fit in, like we belong.  To utter the words, “yeah I saw that. I couldn’t believe the writers took things in that direction, yes!” Or,  “I was watching that movie at my grandparents house.”  To have others look at us in a way that allows us to feel comfortable in our skin is something we search for.

We often say it’s difficult to connect emotionally out of fear of rejection and our own insecurities. The only problem with going about life that way is we are often left always feeling alone and nobody has ever enjoyed that feeling. Whether it is over a game of basketball, football, the latest and greatest show on Broadway, or our favorite memories of growing up, we have to find a way to connect emotionally with others. It lets us know we are alive.

I can’t wait for the next great Cleveland sports moment. It will be fun living in that emotional moment with my brother again, even if the odds are it will be disgust rather than joy, I won’t be alone.