"Whispering Hope"

This song was written by the same man who wrote 'Where, O Where, Has My Little Dog Gone', though that is in no way obvious. I know the dog song, but this one was new to me today. It's rather nice, in a predictable, lyrical, words-that-could-be-saying-anything kind of way.

Today the Steelers won. That's an American football team, for all of you who live under a rock, or not in Pittsburgh. This means that our home-town team gets to go to the Super Bowl in two weeks, which is very exciting for us. Or, rather, them, since I really don't care very much about football, personally. But I believe that it falls in the same category as the church services that one attends, or whatever anyone's particular subject of devotion might be: it is something to respect, and speak no ill of. I respect the dedication to football that so many of my neighbors have.

Today I was just falling asleep, a very long overdue and much needed nap, when my husband called to say that the game was over: I could come and pick him and my daughter up from their game-watching party. On the way from the East End to Mount Lebanon in the South Hills it was never quiet. Horns were honking for over an hour, with 'Terrible Towels' waving out car windows and tied to roof racks. Black and gold banners of every sort were on most of the neighborhood houses. Enthusiastic young men were energetically posing on street corners, pumping their fists, some wearing amazingly little, considering the cold evening. I think I may have seen someone masturbating on, or with, some gold balloons, before releasing them into the sky. It was a generally extremely excited city this evening. Even my reserved British husband took the opportunity to 'let loose', just a little.

But it is truly not my thing. I went to Penn State for more than the normally alloted four years, and managed to never attend a football game (even when my choir performed at half time) which is impressive, and possibly illegal in that county. During the Super Bowl I'm thinking of going shopping. I've heard that the normally crowded newer shopping centers are pleasantly quiet on a Sunday afternoon when the Steelers are playing, though it's also possible that they will be closed entirely. Maybe I'll get that nap, then.