30 - I can’t relate

I have never understood sports fans.

I didn’t understand how someone could be so invested in another person’s performance on a field, when they didn’t actually know the person. I didn’t understand the passion. I didn’t understand the yelling, the excitement, or how much it could affect the rest of the week. I didn’t understand the pregame discussions about what might happen, or the postgame discussions about what just happened. I didn’t understand why people would follow athletes and keep track of their performances. It made no sense to me.

None.

I could not relate.

At all.

I didn’t understand words like, “they should have done this.” Or, “if it were me, I would have done that.” I would laugh and think how silly those comments were.

Until.

Until recently.

I was completely clueless until I came across a show that was new to me.

TOURNAMENT (echo: tournament, tournament, tournament)

OF (echo: of, of, of)

CHAMPIONS (echo: champions, champions, champions)

*As the crowd goes wild*

If you don’t know what it is, it is a cooking competition. BUT NOT just any cooking competition. It is THE cooking competition to beat all competitions.

They have this beast of a spinner that is called the Randomizer. Guy Fieri spins it so that it is completely unplanned and unrehearsed. Random food. Random equipment. Random style. Random time. And judging is blind.

Bored yet?

If you love food and learning how to cook items and creating amazing dishes, you would love it! It is the first time I have felt that something like that was fair. Never before has this been done. At least, not that I have ever seen.

I was absolutely OBSESSED with the show. And I only found out about it at the end of season 3! How had I not heard about it?? I absolutely had to start AT THE BEGINNING. I wanted to see everything so I knew what was goin on.

My poor family would wander by the living room on the way to get a snack. “Can you believe that just happened??” Like a deer in the headlights, they didn’t know how to respond.

“If it were me, I would prepare the meat in this way!” When they did, I would get excited. “She did what I would do!!”

“Holy cow!! The number 8 seed just beat the number one seed! Can you believe it? Can you believe it??”

I knew they didn’t understand so I would try to briefly (I’m never brief) explain the background. But they didn’t care. They tried to be nice, but not ask any questions or make any comments. Because any indication of interest on their part would unleash an excited bubble of information from my mouth. This chef is famous for this. That chef is famous for that. I don’t know this chef well, but everyone else is afraid of him. I need to look him up. And then I would.

How about now? Are you bored now?

If your eyes have glazed over, but you still kept reading, congratulations! You made it! I’m done talking about TOC. Mostly.

So why am I saying all of this? What is the point?

I wish there was a way for people to explain why they feel the way the feel, and really really help others understand. Sometimes, like sports or cooking shows, there is. But other times there isn’t.

We all like different things and can be passionate about them. If I like something peripherally, I don’t really care as deeply if you don’t get it. But if I am “all in” a subject and obsessed with it, it is hard to comprehend how another person could not be the same way.

What do you mean you don’t like hiking? Hiking is the best!

What do you mean you don’t like drawing? Drawing is the best!

What do you mean you don’t like _______(insert favorite binge-worthy show)? It’s the best!

I think the problem is that I am trying to force others to be on the same page. I love this thing so much, it has completely changed my life. And if you would do it, it would change yours.

At least, that is what I think.

Except you are not me.

I have the unique advantage of watching a set of identical twins grow up. Forensic DNA testing will show them to be identical. On paper, if I write out what they are like, it is hard to distinguish between the two. They both have the same interests. Physical descriptions of them will appear the same. But they are not the same.

As babies, they had their own language. Before they could talk, one would run up to the other and babble baby gibberish. The other would laugh and then they would both run off together. More than any other person on the planet, they understand each other.

And yet.

There are times when they don’t understand how the other does or does not like something. As much as they seem to be absolutely identical, they have different ideas, different opinions, and they think they look different.

Is that ok?

Are people allowed to have differing opinions?

Yes. Yes they are.

We are all unique, beautiful, amazing souls (even if we look alike). And like I said at the beginning of this website journey, we are all here for different reasons.

We have different interests. We have different passions. That is going to cause some friction. But only if we let it.

Some people like sports. Some people like cooking shows.

Choose to allow others to enjoy their life. Just like you should enjoy yours.

Don’t try to change other people’s opinions to be exactly like yours. And more importantly, don’t allow others to change you.

What is important to you is important to your purpose. Other people may not understand. That’s ok.

Just don’t let it go!