For the Love of the Game

Friday night. Lights illuminate a green field.  The excitement is palpable.  I stood in the stands with my friends waiting for the warriors to run onto the gridiron.  Excited cheerleaders stir the crowd into a frenzy.  The game starts and we're sure that our cheers will move the team to victory.
I leave the stands and mingle.  Then, when the first quarter is finished, I make my way to the school.  We change into sequined skirts and tall, white boots.  Tease the hair, then run through the empty halls, heels clacking on the linoleum.  Back outside, we wait at the edge of the grass.  Music starts and my butterflies disappear into the air.  We march onto the field, heads held high.
Later, we rejoin the fans.  I flirt with that boy.  He holds my hand.  The band plays and we cheer some more.

This was the sum of my high school social life.  I lived in southern Idaho in a very small community.  Sports weren't just for the students.  Everyone came to the game.  Grown-ups and families.  It didn't stop with football.  Our small gym was packed for every basketball game.  I marched with the drill team there, tho the football games were my favorite.  Something about the big lights shining in the darkness.  I can picture it now.
I"m not a big football fan. In high school, I didn't even know how the game was played.  It was more about the social for me.  It was  way of life.

Now, I'm sad.  I think my kids have been to 2 games in their entire high school career.  I tried to encourage them to go, and they did.  They tried.  But, it wasn't the same.  Perhaps because we live in a larger town.  Maybe because they don't play sports or dance.  Rivalries aren't as serious and there are other things to do on a Friday night.

It's one of those things from my growing-up that I wish I could share.  I can tell them stories, but you can't make them feel the emotion.  They look at me like I'm the old lady reliving her youth.  Nothing wrong with that.  My youth was fun.   We didn't have video games or cell phones.  No movies streaming to our computers. Ha. No computers.  What we did have was a game.  We had spirit and a shared passion.  We had community.  And a love of the game.

P.S.
Oops! I forgot to announce the winner of my My Memories giveaway. I used random.org to pick the winner, and it is.....Kat!  Congratulations. I'll be contacting you with the info about your prize. Thanks so much to everyone who entered.