The date was April 29th, 2011, the excitement in my household was palpable. The pre-game snacks were being intricately prepared and the supporters were getting ready for a day that would go down in history.
We were invited to watch this historical moment with other fans, however, we decided that the social chatter and mindless mingling may interrupt our very serious watching celebration. We needed the full experience: the volume on a mind-numbing number, a clear view of the field, and enough time to watch the reporters speak about the players before the event was set to commence. Decked out in our team colors: Blue, red, and white, we took our seats as the game was about to begin.
First entered the Beckham’s, the Clooney’s were second to the field, followed by Elton John, reporters were going wild.
And then entered Kate in her Alexander McQueen breathtakingly beautiful dress, fit only for a real-life princess. At that moment, one lonesome dramatic tear of joy rolled down my face. It was beautiful. The royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was the Wedding World Series.
You see, as I was reading Dave Barry’s article in which he describes the feeling that men (or sports lovers) experience when it comes to watching the World Series, that magnetic-like attraction that they have towards the television like “radio broadcast rays zinging through the air”, it made me reminiscent of my own home. Countless Sunday family lunches and birthday parties were unattended as my Brother and Father sat glued to the TV watching the soccer.
The Osrin household during a Manchester United match can be characterized by a few main things: the intense screaming (at the TV, and each other) the sheer pandemonium that roars through the corridors when a player scores a goal, the high-stake emotions as the clock ticks in anticipation of the 90-minute finish line and of course the pre, during and post-game analysis of each player’s moves and goals (or lack thereof).
My dad and brother literally live for sports to the point that it doesn’t only dictate their schedules but also their moods. As we have learned, Kairos is of the utmost importance in social situations, especially when asking someone for a favor. So before asking one of them for something, My sister and I have realized that batting eyelashes won’t work. We have instead learned to check the Manchester United scores as this will be the real determining factor in their reaction.
Often the game is watched with other males, over a few cold beers and an assortment of dried meats. There is a great camaraderie between these men. Even if they are not friends in life, they are brothers in soccer season (by the way, only fellow Manchester United supporters are invited over to our house). But G-d help them if someone happens to check social media and ruin the score for all. He will be shunned for eternity and every other male-sports-watching fanatic will know about his misdemeanor.
Yet we put up with it, the screaming, the moods, the tension on a Sabbath day as the games can’t be watched live, The disappointment, the success, the competition, and the standing up dutifully for one’s team, even when they are down in the dumps. We put up with it all.
So on April 29th, 2011 when my mom let me skip school so I could watch the biggest event to take place in my 11 years of livingthe initiation of a real-life princess and the fairytale wedding of all weddings (the one we have Pinterest boards about), it was in due fashion that we could behave how the males in our home behaved frequently.
So we sat, inches from the TV, surrounded by every tabloid magazine we could find and Cadbury chocolate we could consume, and we waited for our World Series to begin
However, we could not believe what we were hearing when my father dared to peep his head into the TV room, see our high tea themed decor and plates of cucumber sandwiches, and say, “Wow, seriously, You would think the Royal wedding is the most important day of your life. Shame, you should see how silly you two look.” And before we could protest his double standards in absolute shock and horror, he added-
“Oh and by the way- Please let the Cohens know that I will not be attending their daughter’s wedding on Sunday, the game is on!”
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