In Which the Good Typist Becomes the World’s Most Unlikely Sports Fan

I mentioned in last week’s post that I would be attending a WNBA game for the first time ever. I’ve never been a sportball fan or even had a passing interest in any organized sports, aside from an ill-conceived attempt to become a Seahawks fan briefly so I would have something to talk about with my co-workers. I attended one Mariner’s game a long time ago as a forced-fun event for another job, and I was bored out of my mind the entire time. I may have seen part of a Seahawks game once, but obviously it didn’t leave much of an impression on me. So I didn’t know what to expect of out this Storm game. What I didn’t expect was that I would become instantly hooked, but to my utter shock, hooked I was, after just a few minutes. The entire experience was totally wild. I was astonished at how fast-moving and exciting and purely fun it was. Mind you, it involved everything I hate—noise, crowds, flashing lights, loud music with a heavy beat, and constant stimulus—but I just let go and went with it, and I don’t think I’ve had so much fun in literally years. It was so fast-paced and crazy, and utterly riveting to watch to the players. Now granted, we had primo seats just a few rows back from court-side so I got a really great view of everything, but I think I would have loved it the same even if I had been further up. The grace, athleticism and physical power of the players was fascinating to watch, and it was all incredibly dramatic and theatrical. This was a home game for the Storm and the love of the fans was palpable. The players were cheerful and there was goodwill and good vibes emanating throughout. And the kids were having a blast, dancing and waving and cheering. After an entire lifetime of not understanding sports fandom, I really get it now.

So enamored was I that after the game, I immediately did a deep-dive on the rules of basketball in general and WNBA specifically, going so far as to write them all down in a notebook so I could carry it around with me and refer to it. I fired up some old WNBA games on YouTube and watched them all of the way through. I looked up how much it would cost to get tickets to the few remaining games in the season. I actually read the articles in the free magazines they gave out in the stadium lobby. I don’t know what happened to me, folks. I cannot even tell you how unlike me this is. But apparently, something about basketball clicked with my brain and my heart and my fascination has been seated in at the core. But I don’t feel the need to analyze it too much. It’s just fun, that’s all. It’s fun to be a fan. It’s fun to be a part of something normal and natural in society, and to enjoy something that is culturally understood and a common experience for many people. It makes me feel like a normal human being. And it seems to serve as a sort of anxiety-reliever, giving my brain something to latch onto other than a sense of impending doom. So I’m going with it. Despite not having “earned” it, I’m officially calling myself a WNBA fan, and no one can stop me.

On a completely different topic, I have found myself becoming a bit of a quarter fairy at my local grocery store. A few months ago, they installed locks on all of their carts, so you need to insert a quarter now to get a cart. I always bring extra quarters because inevitably some poor woman has been taken by surprise and is standing there with her purse, frantically trying to dig out a quarter that may or may not be buried within. That’s when I appear, an angelic figure if I do say so myself, and offer them one of my spare quarters, to their relief and gratitude. It’s a small thing I can do to be of aid and assistance, and I’m glad to be of help. Working in a hospital, I am constantly confronted with overwhelming need (and I don’t even work in the clinical end of things), and it’s nice to be able to see the effect of one tiny gesture that helps someone’s day be better. That’s me again, being all normal and participating in society. If I keep on this trajectory, pretty soon I’ll be hosting barbeques and adopting puppies.

Videos will be coming back soon. I was too distracted by my new-found fandom this week to do the research into how to them to work the way I want them to, but I’ll get to it soon.

--Kristen McHenry